


The [Un]Caged Bird

by hakumei_hogosha



Category: Aldnoah.Zero (Anime)
Genre: After Ep. 24/24.5, After Season 2 of A.Z, F/M, Hurt/Comfort, Mental Anguish, Mind Control, Other, Suicidal Thoughts
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2015-10-18
Updated: 2016-07-02
Packaged: 2018-04-26 23:31:22
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence, Major Character Death
Chapters: 15
Words: 45,641
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/5024926
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/hakumei_hogosha/pseuds/hakumei_hogosha
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>History is typically written by the winners but that does not necessarily mean the tale of the other, "unfortunate" side goes untold...</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. “A thing is not necessarily true because a man dies for it.”

**Author's Note:**

  * For [unk-chan](https://archiveofourown.org/gifts?recipient=unk-chan), [Frog-kun](https://archiveofourown.org/gifts?recipient=Frog-kun), [Himmelreich](https://archiveofourown.org/users/Himmelreich/gifts).



> A/N: For months I've fought myself from writing something for this anime. I really loved and hated the anime, and feared any attempts I did in writing a fanfiction for it would soil it. However a few weeks or months ago, a train of thought never stopped when reading a postcard from Himmelreich and then some post exchanges afterward... BUT then as I worked on writing that particular piece, this came out of nowhere and well... I couldn't necessarily fit it together.
> 
> tl;dr: I wrote a prologue to a bigger monstrosity, which I hope to post once I finish... maybe. This prologue was originally going to be a one-shot but even this is growing. FML.

**T-Minus 1095d**

"Princess Lemrina... I apologize for the many wrongs..."

He knelt before continuing.

"...I have done to you."

She was confused and asked, "Slaine?"

Slaine still kept his eyes closed as he spoke, only opening them when concluding, "May you remain in good health."

His eyes were not cloudy. They were crystal clear. They were serene.

 

 

 

**T-Minus 924**

Over and over his final words to her replayed in her mind. She whimpered as she curled up on the hospital bed and with great futility tried to cover her ears and tightly shut her eyes. She desperately tried to push the memory away but her mind would not relent. It would not release her from the despair.

If it wasn't mental anguish that troubled her, Princess Lemrina found her current environment even worse. The worst.

She was aboard the leading starship of the UFE, the Deucalion, at her sister's insistence to see their doctor. Princess Asseylum-- no, now Empress Asseylum had asked the doctor to look at Princess Lemrina's legs to see if they could be treated.

"It's a ploy... an act of caring for her last living relative," Princess Lemrina thought bitterly and grit her teeth. Regardless of what she thought, there was nothing she could do.

Princess Lemrina had her share of attempts to kill herself upon being captured by those siding with her sister. All attempts were futile. In the end, it was a waste of time. It was a waste of strength. She was after all nothing more than a puppet without its puppeteer and it wouldn't be long before she acquired a new one. Would it be her sister?

She laughed sarcastically as again the memory started to gradually come to mind again. Her memory of her fallen knight was still as vivid as if it were yesterday. It was the last time she'd ever seen him. He had been reported as killed in action in the last battle.

Perhaps it was better that way. To die on the battlefield. To die among those pretty lights in the vastness and emptiness of space.

Her eyes watered as she recalled those pretty lights. Morbid she thought at the time. Morbid of finding them beautiful when knowing full well they were the lights of people fighting and dying by each other's doing.

He had said he had seen many futures among those lights but failed to see the one important to him. Which one did he speak of?

She couldn't hold her tears back anymore. The episode played back again in full force. His voice in her memory still held its clarity. His distancing silhouette still out of her grasp.

"Stop it!" She desperately cried.

A nurse came in as in her fit, Princess Lemrina had tossed whatever she could from the nearby nightstand.

The episode was playing back again. It won't be long before she's restrained again.

Ah the tranquilizer is in sight. It won't be long before she was a further broken puppet without its puppeteer.

How much longer until her strings are manipulated again?

She didn't want to be manipulated again. No. She wanted to be. She wanted to forget. No. She wanted to remember.

"I want to remember," she whispered to herself but dared not utter the remaining words; her heart felt like shattered glass. Torn. Hurt. Never again would it be the same.

 

 

 

**T-Minus 883**

The doctor tried again to help her inability to walk in 1G. She believed his name was Doctor Yagari. She dared not speak however. They had given her something to make her calm. She didn't bother to remember. It was nice to feel numb. It felt like she was in a haze and everything was just a dream. Perhaps she'll see him here.

No. He would not be there. He never let her go.

The memory of her fallen knight again visiting her comatose sister came to mind.

He never let her sister go even to the bitter end.

He had surrendered to her. Everything he had earned, everything he came to be... all crumbled before her sister.

"Perhaps it was better to forget," she dare thought.

Yes.

 

 

 

**T-Minus 871**

The doctor was happier now. Princess Lemrina was abiding to the doctor's orders and was somehow progressing better than the doctor's previous prognosis. She concluded he was the new puppeteer. Like the counts, he probably had to get results for her sister. There was no point but to go with it.

They didn't medicate her anymore. She finally gave into this reality.

After all, who would believe her in a world now fully placated with her sister's so-called peace... built on blaming everything on Sl--

No. She shook her head as she forced herself to walk more than the previous day towards the doctor.

"You alright, Princess Lemrina?" The doctor was misunderstanding her. She wasn't shaking her head to discontinue; she was shaking her head as a futile attempt to prevent herself from remembering him.

Princess Lemrina nodded and pushed forward. She had decided. She needed to move on. There was no point in dragging her feet...

...as much.

 

 

 

**T-Minus 860**

The princess apologized to the nurse as she broke into a sarcastic yet maniacal laugh. The nurse had rolled her back into the room they kept her in; she had finished the allotted rehab time with the doctor and was now returning to her room. Her room was no longer her own though; there was another person occupying the room.

The room had been redone to fit the two of them in the room and the person was laid in a bed opposite to her but closer to the window. Aside from the necessary rearrangements of the furniture, however, most of the room remained the same. She was most thankful when noting her side of the window remained covered by the curtain.

They must know she was almost done with the rehab. The doctor and her sister had reached the conclusion that she could return to Vers soon enough. There was not much need for her to be fully capable in 1G, especially considering the struggle to get Princess Lemrina to consider even this much rehab.

"As soon as the purpose is fulfilled, there's not a moment wasted.. typical," she mumbled to herself as the nurse left her to her own devices.

 

 

 

**T-Minus 847**

The previous day Princess Lemrina had not acquainted herself with her new roommate. She found herself even more spiteful than she had been in weeks. Was this a sick joke by fate? No, Princess Lemrina decided to chalk it up to her sister's cruel kindness.

Her roommate was someone from the Moonbase -- Sir Harklight.

 

 

 

**T-Minus 825**

She awoke to a sound she was not familiar with. She jumped as she realized it was from Harklight. The princess quickly hurried to check on him and found that he was simply mumbling in his sleep.

"You..." Princess Lemrina began but sighed as she leaned on the window.

She crossed her arms and decided to sit in the nearby chair. She decided to stay by his side for awhile, amused by the fact his mumbling could disturb her sleep. Then again... perhaps her sleep wasn't really heavy or as restful as she convinced herself it to be.

 

…

 

His lips moved but not everything he was saying was being enunciated. Perhaps his lungs were damaged from the last battle?

She playfully talked to Harklight, "To think a dutiful knight such as yourself would talk in his sleep..."

He kept mouthing yet nothing but weird funnel air sounds came from Harklight. Maybe he was now back to snoring quietly.

Princess Lemrina motioned to stand up. There was no point in staying around as the former servant was fine and lying peacefully asleep unlike her. She grew jealous of the man's peaceful slumber and started to make her way back to her bed but.

"... Sl..."

She found her feet unresponsive. She could have sworn. Her mind was telling her to go back. "Go back to bed." "Don't go back."

Yet her feet kept walking back towards the former servant. She was right. Her mind was right. She had heard it right. She shouldn't have.

"Slaine-sama..."

The tears came and did not stop. Her legs buckled and her hands covered her face. She whimpered and sobbed.

She couldn't forget.

"...Slaine-sama..." Harklight again weakly mumbled in his sleep.

The distancing silhouette came to mind again.

"... sama..."

She wiped her tears and tried to hold back her whimpers. It was all to naught though. Harklight would not stop. Again and again... struggling, no matter how little air... how little his mouth would move... the former servant kept calling for his master.

"Harklight..." she began as she looked to the sleeping man.

The mental anguish was coming back and with a vengeance. She recollected when she learned of his fate. It was in this room as the doctor checked her legs for the first time. The nearby television played and a voice sounding a little too happy and somehow a bit asinine, reported about the conclusion of the war between Earth and Mars and all the good things that were coming. One such good thing that was thanks to Count Saazbaum Troyard's death was this peace being achieved.

They had blamed everything on Slaine.

Was this really peace? Was peace to be built on this lie?

Of course it would... it was Empress Asseylum vers Allusia's peace, it was her lie that would become truth.

"... Slaine... sama..." Harklight again called out in a weak voice.

Princess Lemrina again called for the former servant's name but knew it was futile.

"Harklight..."

She changed her focus to the moon. His side of the window let the moonlight spill in.

This was all a sick joke by fate, by her half sister.

The tears kept falling upon her cheeks. In her reflection, they were pretty lights. Was there any future for them, she wondered. Regardless, the man beside her knew nothing of the present, his "future" from his dreams.

"He's gone, Harklight... He's... not here anymore."

 

 

 

**T-Minus 739**

Harklight regained consciousness. She acknowledged him and he nodded. He was about to speak but the medical staff told him to hold back. She wasn't going to tell him. Not now anyway. There was no future for him surely. When he's well, he too will be incarcerated like the others that served the fallen count.

For herself however, she did not know if she had a future but she did know, she herself had no need for it. She had no need for the future.

 

 

 

**T-Minus 736**

The Terrans were cruel or Harklight was obsessed. Both, actually.

Today Princess Lemrina finally told everything she knew that transpired since the Moon base was destroyed, to Harklight.

She was foolish to think perhaps being as mangled up as he was, he would take the news well. At first his shoulders shook and his knuckles grew white from tightly forming a fist. Immediately after, the food the nurse brought went flying to the wall.

She was insensitive. She was still spiteful. She was still a petty, calculating person. She knew today would be the worst time to do this.

Harklight had beckoned her over and showed her what the nurse had brought for him. The Terrans had been kind to them and in a nice way, pestered them relentlessly for them to try their cuisine, especially to Harklight. Harklight after all had not eaten anything beyond synthetic food, krill and algae considering his status.

Today he had given into their kindness and they humored him by bringing him a slice of birthday cake.

"Lord Slaine once shared to me that on the day of your birth, your family would gather to celebrate," he said with a smile.

She initially humored him, "What would they gather for?"

"To celebrate and eat this... although they say this is only a piece of the birthday cake. Obviously, I can't eat that much yet," Harklight reasoned and felt himself reaching for his left side. "They would put... candles... for how many years old you are..."

"I see. How old will you be?" Princess Lemrina asked; she held back as perhaps today was the former servant's birthday.

"Oh. This isn't for me. Well... then again I can only eat it," Harklight remarked as he sighed.

"Hmm?"

The former servant looked to the princess and bashfully smiled, "I wouldn't know... I never asked Lord Slaine how old he was."

Her heart sank as it dawned to her that the man had gotten a cake to celebrate their fallen count's birthday. The former servant didn't know.

Hence, the cake flew and the former servant entered a rage and like what befell her, the medical staff quickly arrived to pacify the man.

 

 

 

**T-Minus 730**

Harklight had remained quiet for the last two days and whenever the princess didn't look, it was clear in her peripheral vision the man was glaring daggers at her. It didn't matter though... she too will be gone soon, wherever her sister decided.

The nurse had come into the room to retrieve the princess and like routine, the princess was settled into her wheelchair and was to be carted to rehab. Before exiting the room however, she stopped the nurse and the princess declared to the former servant, without looking at him.

"Harklight. I'd recommend forgetting. It'll be easier."

She could hear the man shuffling in bed to sit up. He was surely going to retort. She didn't want to listen and thankfully, the nurse had long pushed her out of the room before the princess would have.

 

....

 

Perhaps she should have listened to what Harklight had to say. She wasn't being taken back to her room and instead elsewhere. The nurse had told her that her roommate wanted to see her outside on the deck and that the nurse had already taken him there.

After a few minutes, she found herself sitting next to Harklight, who had remained quiet and retained his arms being crossed. Princess Lemrina sighed and found her gaze had settled to what was before her, unfocused and unfazed. Her experience of her first landing on Earth was horrible and being outside reminded her of it rather vividly.

It was a sunny day like this. She had felt sick from the gravitational forces during the landing sequence. The sun was blaring bright to her eyes, the air was heavy and it was abnormally hot and damp. How did her sister find this world beautiful?

"How... can you say that?" Harklight finally spoke.

She was caught by surprised but she recovered her composure. She closed her eyes in an attempt to block some of the unpleasantness.

The princess answered, "You'll only hate everything more."

"How... can you forget Lord Slaine? What he had done for us?" Harklight asked.

She motioned to speak yet no words came to mind. She was at a standstill. How could she forget?

"And if you hate everything... does that mean you also hate Lord Slaine?" Harklight again questioned her.

She grit her teeth and felt her hands forming fists. She had nothing to reply.

Harklight took her silence as her answer and closed his eyes before speaking again. He opened his eyes and looked to the sky.

"So this is the heavenly blue he fondly spoke of."

Her gaze was not at the sky. She dared not look for her eyes burned.

"Ah. Princess, look. It's a bird. Look! It's getting away."

The former servant pointed and slowly but surely she looked up. Tears again fell from her cheeks as the former servant continued to recollect his time with their former comrade. Harklight let his left arm fall back to his side.

"I'm glad we were finally able to get you to see one Princess. Lord Slaine had planned to get one for you to see, even if it wouldn't last long in space."

She silently broke into a sob once more as the former servant continued with his tale; the former servant and his lord had conjured various plans in securing a bird and how it derailed into what kind of bird to get. The names had long escaped the former servant but the playfulness of the conversation still remained.

She covered her face and finally replied, "How. How can I forget him? It hurts too much to try. It hurts too much to remember."

Harklight's smile weakened as his eyes too watered.

"I'm sorry Harklight," Princess Lemrina said as she looked to the man, "I... I shouldn't have said that..."

"I'm in pain too, Your Highness..." Harklight admitted, "Everything our lord has done. Everything he had intended. No one but the two of us knows."

It was true. They were by his side. They saw it all happen, even if what they heard from the fallen count were lies, even if they thought what he was intending to do was wrong. They did not question it for they had believed in him.

"They always did say no one likes the truth, the bitter truth," Princess Lemrina said as she chuckled to herself. The pain was inevitable and nothing she could do would quell it for everything was futile. He was gone. He was never coming back. He did not leave anything back that no one would allow sacred. Slaine Saazbaum Troyard had become the scapegoat, the convenient evil for her half sister to blame and square away for this so-called peace.

Altruistically, peace was priceless and worth fighting for no matter the cost. She knew her sister would think that. She also knew...

"The pain's not from the truth Princess but rather knowing... he would have wanted it this way."

The two knew Slaine would think just the same.

"Was this the future he sought among those lights?" She asked, initially intending it to be a rhetorical question.

She couldn't fathom if Harklight knew what lights she spoke of yet the former servant's response rendered her speechless.

"Our lord was ready to die, to die for our sake. He knew he was damned. He knew what he was doing would condemn him. He knew... he was at wit's end and tried whatever he could to save whatever he could.... and all I could do was just give him that tiny solace, that tiny hope to make something personal, something meaningful to him and not die for someone else's dream."

Harklight struggled to keep talking smoothly. He held back his sobs as he too was beginning to cry.

"I'm... so... sorry... Lord Slaine. I couldn't... I couldn't do more."

Princess Lemrina looked to her hands once more as the former servant finally gave into his sobs. He had finally reached the point to mourn for their fallen comrade.

She could remember the brief conversations she had, the lessons of Earth, their dreams and the Aldnoah activation factor. Of all the conversations, it was the conversation regarding his dream that stung and struck her most.

"I have no dreams." He had said back then.

And yet as he left her in Harklight's care, he had wished her well.

She looked to the sky and could see the shattered moon so easily in the heavenly blue sky. She too could see the birds Harklight had pointed out.

Slaine had at least wanted her to see the birds. She wondered why at first but soon realized as she saw a bird perched on the nearby railing and momentarily taking flight.

He had freed her from her cage. He had freed her from the tolls of war he sought to bear alone. He had given her the opportunity to spread her wings, if not the chance to acquire them once more.

She slid her left hand along her left thigh and sniffled.

This was freedom.

This was the world he had come from.

She couldn't say she fully understood what she came to realize. However she concluded at the very least, she will remember him. There is no point in forgetting, no point in running away from the truth. That's what her sister was doing. That is what the world was doing. There were bigger issues in play that are being ignored. Could she make a difference on that matter?

She will remember him and move forward for his sake. Maybe she can make a difference. Maybe she could not. This is the least she could do and maybe in time she can figure out more. But for now...

"Thank you Slaine Troyard," she said to herself as she saw another bird take flight.

 

...

 

Meanwhile, a new day began for another. A man in a light blue shirt and matching bottoms stood up as a lock was being undone.

"Get up Slaine Troyard. You have a visitor." A guard informed.

 

**_TBC-_ **

 


	2. "The dead tell no tales."

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Slaine has a visitor...

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> A/N: TYVM for the kudos and comments QQ it means alot to me!.. Unfortunately no matter how much I mediated on this chapter, I could see no way to prevent this... *hides*

**T-Minus 730d**

The fallen dictator Slaine Saazbaum Troyard had been hauled from his prison cell and back into the familiar glass room. He had paused at the entrance when his eyes caught sight of his visitor and also the vacant table. Furthermore the greeting hinted to him that this wouldn't be a pleasant visit.

"Good day, Count Slaine Saazbaum Troyard... or perhaps would it be Lord Slaine?" The visitor mused.

Dread. That was what Slaine felt. He mentally laughed as he noticed how after almost a year had passed and already his facade was crumbling faster than he noticed. The moment he noticed that his visitor was not Inaho, he felt his body shake in fear but he did his best to reclaim his composure.

Maybe his luck was turning around. This past year he had stopped wishing for death as the princess-- no the Empress -- had asked Inaho to save him. Slaine stopped trying to commit suicide. However aside from merely living, what left was there for an officially dead man? What was left for the biggest weakness of the Versian Empress? What remained for the biggest secret of the UFE regarding the war?

No his luck couldn't have turned around. Slaine found himself glancing at his amulet as he was forced to sit down. His father's amulet was a reminder of how wrong such a thought that was. Time and time again had this amulet proven neither a charm of good luck nor protection.

Before he returned his gaze to the visitor, Slaine noticed the guards had kept the cuffs on him. They were not letting him as freely as they would if it was Inaho visiting him. This was to be expected though. Slaine's visitor appeared to be a man of great authority considering how the guards were behaving. Furthermore, the man adorned various ornaments that signified a high rank. What rank was lost to Slaine as he no longer saw the point of remembering such details. What did concern Slaine was the fact was why such a high ranking official was visiting him.

Either they had finally decided to execute him or wanted information. Neither outcome was pleasing to Slaine... well – Slaine let out a small smile, a smile more for himself – the former would be more his cup of tea so to speak.

Slaine sat up and placed his hands on the table for all to see. He didn't return the greeting. Slaine was familiar with this arrangement. It did not matter what he said. The visitor had come for one reason and one reason alone -- judgment.

"You're awfully quiet compared to what I had presumed. You were quite the orator on the broadcasts you made back in the day," The visitor said as he tried to make a conversation.

Slaine let a small chuckle and had looked to the table. Was it UFE to be so around the bush? _"Spit it out already." "Hit me already." "Shoot me already."_ were the thoughts coming to his mind. Then again this slow progression in itself was an act of torture. Also when will it be the next time he was to see a visitor? A visitor that was not the expressionless rock, Inaho? Would it hurt for that former adversary to smile?

_"Why am I thinking about him now anyway? I'm surely going mad."_ He found himself thinking and looked back at the visitor.

"I apologize... it's been some time since I had a visitor, let alone a group of people to give speeches to. Thus sir, what can I do for you? Surely a high ranking officer as yourself wouldn't visit a war criminal like me without a purpose," Slaine dared the extra bit.

What did he have to lose though? His life? If this was to be his execution, then it's better to just get it over with.

The visitor made a sound. Slaine was at a loss if it was a chuckle or a hum. The visitor had his arms propped on the table and his hands clasped in front of his mouth. The visitor's expression was hard to read for Slaine even when the visitor was just across the table.

"A proposition has been made with the higher-ups. More accurately, I made a proposition to those under my command," the visitor went.

Slaine remained silent.

"But first I should introduce myself. It is understandable that it has been some time and considering how broad your objectives were, someone such as myself was perhaps a small detail." The visitor said and finally revealed his lower half of his face by propping his chin on his clasped hands, "I am the Vice Admiral of the United Federation of Earth Eelis Hakkinen."

"I see," Slaine finally spoke and bowed his head as some means of respect while still countering what Hakkinen had said, "I again apologize for not being aware of your identity. I would not go so far as saying you are a small detail but back then... everyone was an enemy. Surely you can relate to that."

"Yes and that is where the proposition comes to play," the vice admiral started, "but first I must ask. What do you think of Her Majesty?"

Slaine looked at the vice admiral a bit perplexed. He couldn't help feel some Deja vu, like if he had a similar conversation with someone in the past... _"Yes... this is like when I first met Count Saazbaum,"_ Slaine thought.

The vice admiral added, "I am fully aware of the truth. It was noble of you to take the helm of the late Count Saazbaum and continue the war effort. Someone else would have done it. Someone worse would have done it. If it was you instead, you could not only ensure Her Majesty's life but you could even mitigate the damage."

Slaine was even more perplexed, even more disturbed but hid his concerns as he smirked and responded, "You give me far too much credit."

The weird sound happened again. Slaine determined it was a chuckle. It was an unnerving chuckle.

"It doesn't take an analytical engine to see you targeted militaristic objectives. Very rarely, if at all, consider harming residential areas or places dense with civilians," the admiral pointed out, "but I have digressed... as I asked before, what do you think of Her Majesty? Empress Asseylum vers Allusia? For all you had done for her, she spared your life but has tarnished your name and has deemed to lock you here until the end of your days."

_"I deserve this." "I killed. I deceived. I stole. A year ago I would dare say I did it in her name but in truth... in truth it may have been just entirely my own doing. I tarnished her dream of peace myself. I could even baffle myself saying 'as long as the ends justify the mean.’"_ were Slaine's immediate thoughts but those weren't something he could say to Vice Admiral Eelis Hakkinen. The admiral openly stated he had a proposition -- a plan involving him.

Anything involving Slaine was bad news. Nothing good ever came from him meddling. A primary example came to mind -- when the Empress had been shot by Count Saazbaum. Slaine felt indebted and sympathized the count to save him but Slaine had made a bad decision, a mistake to consider such outweighs the knowledge that Count Saazbaum was out to kill the Empress.

"Hmm?" The Vice Admiral went.

Slaine had caught himself chuckling and immediately apologized. Slaine actually found it baffling how blatantly obvious the admiral was compared to the orbital knights he had to tend with. The only difference now was that Slaine had no means of changing whatever outcome.

"It was a mistake to help her to that extent," Slaine finally answered.

The vice admiral smiled. Deep down Slaine could feel the dreadful feeling creep up more but he retained his composure this time. Slaine knew he was walking into a trap but there was no point in struggling. What was there for him now?

"I can't help but agree," the Vice Admiral said and withdrew his hands from the table. He picked something up from the side of the table and sat it on top. The vice admiral had brought what looked like a large silver ring. No it wasn't a ring. It was a collar.

Slaine's eyes looked at it confused. He could feel goosebumps along his arms.

"As you had presumed, you are to be executed. Slaine Saazbaum Troyard will be no more in this prison. However your information regarding Vers and your father's work is still deemed valuable." The Vice Admiral said.

Slaine found his voice escaping him. It came out weak as he spoke, "I... I know nothing of my father's work."

Slaine could feel himself biting his lower lip and gritting his teeth. He did not at all sound convincing even if it was the truth.

"Even if that were the case Troyard, you chances are have the best chance to decode his research," the Vice Admiral said.

"Decode?" Slaine found himself repeating.

"Yes. It is explicitly clear that his research was neither aimed for everyone to use Aldnoah technology nor understanding the Aldnoah activation rights. Some of our researchers consider he was looking for ways to destroy the Aldnoah technology. Others dare suggest he was looking for ways to change who had the activation rights." The vice admiral went on, "Regardless though, there was one clue for the intention of his research."

And that was when Slaine turned pale. The vice admiral pointed to Slaine’s pendant, his one memento of his father.

"And thus this is my proposition." The vice admiral resumed and then signaled the guards, “a proposition you cannot refuse."

The guards went to either side of Slaine and the ashen blond found the cuffs being removed but then being abnormally pressed back into the seat, arms rendered immobile in the guards' grips. Slaine then looked forward and could see the Admiral approaching him with the collar opened. Inside the collar, markings glowed an eerily gold; the text was of the Old Civilization, the progenitors of the Aldnoah Technology.

Slaine gulped as the admiral was just about to wrap the collar around Slaine's neck. However the man stopped and Slaine looked up in horror as in the corner of his eye, he could see the Vice Admiral was enjoying this or was looking forward to something.

"Any last words, Slaine Troyard?" The vice admiral dared joke.

Slaine was not given a chance to verbalize it. His voice wouldn't come out. He felt the cold collar wrap around his neck and an abnormal burning sensation spread from where the collar had touched his neck. He felt his blood boil and felt like they’ve been caught ablaze. Slaine couldn't help but find himself choking and somehow even the strength to release himself from the guards’ grasp. He fallen onto the floor on his knees and although he mentally knew it was futile, Slaine couldn’t help the involuntary need to try to remove the collar. It was the start of a realization that frightened his very soul; he was beginning to find his body no longer moving the way he wanted it to. His body was no longer listening to his thoughts. Even his awareness was starting to slip as he started having lapses in his attention and whatever he heard was starting to be distorting to him.

The vice admiral was talking but he couldn't hear everything anymore.

Regardless, the vice admiral continued talking even if he knew Slaine was becoming unable to comprehend, "That collar greatly resembles the cloaking device your imposter princess used but there's a catch. You have your father's research to thank for that. The collar renders the wearer unable to do anything unless ordered and only currently works for people with the activation rights granted by Her Majesty... or in your case, the imposter princess. It will be worthwhile working with you Troyard."

Slaine felt his consciousness was slipping away, far away. His body had grown tired from the futile struggle and whatever unexplained phenomenon the collar -- imbued with Aldnoah -- was now taking control of his body. His body had fallen limp on the floor and his eyes were shut tightly. His hands were covering them now instead of trying to break the collar. His eyes were on fire -- at least that's how it felt.

Mentally Slaine could feel himself grasping for straws and even his mental grasp was failing him. He was scared for what the vice admiral had in mind for him but whatever it is and given the circumstances, Slaine had a daunting thought, maybe a realization. Even in this prison the vice admiral was going so far to make it seem he was executed when in truth he'll probably be locked away doing questionable experiments or be the experimental subject.

Maybe this is the last and only act of mercy fate had for him -- this growing, embracing, encompassing darkness that's surrounding him... this unexplained miasma, may be the best thing that could be done to him. He would 'live' per se as the Empress had wished even if he alone will be the only one keeping track of that; Slaine wouldn't be surprised if the vice admiral made sure she knew he was dead. However, Slaine would now be relinquished of the mental torture he had upon himself. Slaine no longer would have to think.

If he could speak, his last words though... he was sure would have been, "Please... let this peace last..."

'Slaine' removed his hands and sat up. He looked to the vice admiral, expressionless. His eyes were no longer the beautiful turquoise but abnormally gold, gold like the glow of Aldnoah.

"What can I do for you, sir?" 'Slaine' asked the Vice Admiral.

_**TBC-** _

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> A/N2: If you managed reach the end, thanks for reading and I gravely apologize for this. T_T No matter how much I tried, it just ended up this way... QQ


	3. "In a time of deceit telling the truth is a revolutionary act."

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Life goes on and what was once normal has become foreign. Or perhaps, what is now is nothing more but a fleeting dream?

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> A/N: So... I was trying to keep up a predictable timeline for when I'll update but then I found myself writing chapter four before writing chapter three. Thus, I offer a trick or treat prematurely of two chapters! Thanks again for the comments and kudos :) it really motivates me to keep fighting Inaho, who likes to just give me nothing but trouble.
> 
> A/N2: As a head's up, italics indicate the character is thinking the respective line of dialogue and not verbalizing it... I noticed that there were times I'd alternate between simply saying "thought" or having the line italicized. QQ Sorry for the possible confusion; formatting via copy/paste can be rather annoying.
> 
> A/N3: Also to elaborate on the folks I write this as a "gift"  
> \-- unk-chan has an awesome on-going doujinshi about Slaine and Lemrina after episode 24.  
> You can find it here: http://tinyurl.com/unk-chan  
> \-- Frog-kun posted an interesting what-if fanfic where Inaho and Asseylum had really died after the season 1 finale and it focuses on Lemrina's schemes.  
> You can find it here: https://www.fanfiction.net/s/11186943/1/Knight-and-Princess

**T-Minus 722d**

“Dental records?” Inaho asked.

“100% match sir.” The attending doctor answered.

“DNA?”

The doctor sighed and was seemingly tired as this was perhaps the third or fourth time Inaho had asked him. “Yes. It’s a perfect match. It’s him.”

The brunette was currently in an undisclosed morgue where Slaine Troyard had been taken. A few days prior, he had been notified that the former count had passed away unexpectedly and that there was nothing that could have been done to prevent it. Slaine Troyard had passed away from a blood clot that was found in his brain post-mortem.

“I see. Thank you.”

“Will that be all, sir?”

Inaho nodded and the doctor proceeded to cover the deceased. As the cloth went over the ashen blond’s head, Inaho left the room and let the metallic door fall behind him. With this, Seylum’s last request to him had concluded.

 

 

 

**T-Minus 701**

_“...Please, save Slaine.”_

“...In…”

_“...Save Slaine Troyard.”_

“... Inaho…”

_“...Save him from the chains of misery.”_

“Earth to Inaho….”

_“Please.”_

“INAHO!”

“Yes?” Inaho asked, finally acknowledging his friends.

They were currently hanging out at Inko’s family restaurant; Calm said he had something important to inform them. Their conversation seemed to have derailed to teasing Inko’s choice for a college major. Nina and Inko had decided to go to university and Nina’s choice was obvious -- related to fashion design whereas Inko seemed entirely left field.

Nonetheless, it seemed they were returning to the main point they had gathered.

Calm sighed while looking at Inaho a bit uneasy, “You had me worried there, Inaho. Lately, you’ve been more out of it than normal.”

“Sorry. Work has been busy,” Inaho said. Two weeks ago he had contacted the Empress and informed her of the news. He couldn’t help but find himself more troubled than before regarding her final request. Did he successfully fulfill the request? Was the request at all that important to her considering her reaction?

“I bet! Didn’t you receive the honorable discharge forms and even some job offer packages?” Inko exclaimed.

Inaho nodded but remained silent. Furthermore, how soon and smooth things were going down for him felt suspiciously surreal to him. Though, the restoration of peace may have finally reached him as he was perhaps the furthest away from peace; he had tried to fulfill the Empress’s last wish that placed him closest to the most dangerous person from the war.

His friends did not know the truth however. As far as they know, Inaho was finally being relieved of his military duties after finishing the last duties he had related to the higher-ups and the Vers Empire.

“So what news do you have, Calm?” Inaho finally broke the ice.

Inaho may have dazed far too long to had observed his friends were carefully avoiding the news. The atmosphere about the group had been abnormal for one reason or another. An uncomfortable, lengthy silence took over the table.

Calm closed his eyes, collecting himself before finally pulling out a piece of paper. None of them had to take a careful look as the top line contained all they needed to know -- “TRANSFER APPROVED.”

“After much careful consideration, I have decided to return to Canada.” Calm verbalized.

 

 

 

**T-Minus 666**

Kneeling on one knee, Harklight had a small smile as Princess Lemrina rested the blade of a sword on his right shoulder and then again on his left. Princess Lemrina was knighting him but he still chose to adore his gray uniform. Initially the more traditional servants present were opposed considering its implication; however, the Empress waved her arm to silent them.

She complimented Harklight, “To have had a loyal knight, he was truly blessed.”

“You may rise, Sir Harklight,” Princess Lemrina said as an indication that the ceremony was over.

Immediately after standing up, Harklight once again kneeled but this time to the Empress. He closed his eyes and showed his gratitude to the Empress, “Thank you, Your Highness.”

Empress Asseylum vers Allusia smiled and soon the knight rose once more.

“I assume you two have much work to tend to. You have already turned in several dozens of proposals after being back a month on Vers,” the Empress commented with her hands clasped below her chin.

“That is correct Your Highness,” Sir Harklight informed.

Princess Lemrina sat back down in her wheelchair to which Sir Harklight stood behind out of old habit, ready to push her.

“Considering the political arrangement, it takes an unknown amount of time before any proposals I send to gain approval,” Princess Lemrina commented with a slight hint of venom in her words.

“It may have been a year since the war has concluded Princess Lemrina but there is still a bountiful amount of strife to address on Earth--” Count Klancain butted in as he walked into the throne room and stood next to the Empress.

“The Orbital Knights that remain earthbound, yes?” Princess Lemrina said curtly, to get to the heart of the matter.

The Empress became solemn at her half sister’s words for Princess Lemrina was on the mark. For the past year, the Empress had traveled around the world in hopes through peace negotiations the Orbital Knights currently on Earth would relinquish their claim on the Earth. Very few had agreed and were very slow in their return to space.

Count Klancain placed a hand on Empress Asseylum’s shoulder and lightly squeezed as a means of comfort; the empress’s escort continued, “Unfortunately most remain unswayed with negotiations but with plans of repairing the Hypergate on the Moon, we hope they reconsider before more drastic measures are to be considered.”

“... Repairs to the Hypergate on the Moon?” Harklight’s eyes had widened in astonishment at such news.

Princess Lemrina shared a similar reaction although more so from the mention of the Moon. One year may seem a long time in relation to getting policies approved but for repairing a service from the first war, let alone on the Moon where the last battle had occurred, a year seemed too soon.

_“No, sooner the better worked best for the United Earth government. Right now, the Vers Empire is still in a vulnerable state and although it may be incentive for the Hypergate on the Moon to be fixed for our people to return… that also means regaining lost ground for the UFE.”_ Princess Lemrina thought as the Moon Base was inoperable to the Terrans; the technological gap between their bases were still considerable.

“How soon would the Hypergate be operable?” Princess Lemrina asked in a tone hinting curiosity rather than her growing suspicion.

“According to the Admiral Hakkinen, they’re looking at a time table of two years but expect it to be less once their head controller finishes his or her current project,” Count Klancain answered.

“I see…” Princess Lemrina said before excusing Harklight and herself from the room; as the Empress had mentioned, they still had more work to tend to. After all, this was a creed Harklight and her had made -- to do everything they could to improve the society of Vers; it was clear her sister was primarily focused on making amends with the Terrans for one reason or another. For now it was not in Princess Lemrina’s interests or concerns. Why make the Empress her enemy when she is currently dependent on her sister to make any contribution to society?

Once Princess Lemrina and Harklight were well on their way down the corridor, Count Klancain commented to his fiance, “I mean no ill will but is it wise to allow Sir Harklight freely alongside Princess Lemrina?”

“Are you implying she will cause an insurgence, Klancain?” The Empress countered, without looking at her escort; both were looking down the corridor.

“Sir Harklight is a very formidable man. He was after all his right hand man during his rise to power,” Count Klancain commented, “Combining the fact she too has the ability to bestow the Aldnoah activation rights, it’s the near perfect means for rebellion, Your Highness.”

The Empress remained quiet for a moment as she looked to the two and see them turn left once reaching the fork. She closed her eyes and remembered on that very wall of the fork, two innocent children had once talked about coexistence between Earth and Vers. The Empress opened her eyes and perhaps she was tired but where her sister and knight had gone, the ghost of her childhood friend stood and looked at her with a warmly smile. As the Empress turned to face the throne, the ghost seemed to dissipate into golden dust.

“They both sincerely wish for the betterment of our people. It would be wrong to impede them anymore than they are,” the Empress said with a nostalgic smile.

Her smile faded away as she recollected the news she had received earlier in the month. Kaizuka Inaho had contacted her to inform her of the recent developments regarding her childhood friend.

_“I’m sorry to inform you, Empress Seylum. As of March 22nd, Slaine Saazbaum Troyard has passed away.”_

_“In… what manner?”_

_“A blood clot was found in his brain, which--”_

_“I see… Thank you Inaho-san… “_

It pained her that she had not visited her dear friend during his final year but as she traveled around the world negotiating with the Orbital Knights residing on Earth, it became more and more difficult to understand what her friend had sought to do by continuing the war. In turn, it became even more difficult to consider facing him.

_“If only I have…”_ she thought at first but stopped.

Regret was weighing on her heart. However she knew it would do no good to dwell. She knew Slaine wouldn’t have wanted her to, just like when she had first left for Earth; even if it was uncertain how Earth would have welcomed her then, she still deemed it necessary for her to make the first step towards their childhood dream.

But it was without a doubt, she wish she had seen him one more time and tried to understand after seeing how her sister and her knight had moved on. Even if they had not known the truth, the end result remained. They had moved on carrying their dreams and surely in their own way were trying to achieve his dream.

“Asseylum...” Count Klancain inquired, worriedly.

“I know, the Council should have gathered by now,” Asseylum commented to which the count nodded and led the way down the corridor.

Asseylum reached for the armrest of the throne and for a moment held onto it.

She was Asseylum vers Allusia, Empress of the Vers Empire. Above all, her people were most important.

She may have failed her childhood friend but even after all that had happened between them, with great bitterness they both knew what had to be done for this peace, this peace that differed so greatly from their childhood.

Such thoughts left her unsettled. Asseylum knew none of this was ideal yet she was determined to make it right. Empress Asseylum did not do this for her own sake but for her people and thus, she released her grasp from the armrest and followed behind her escort.

_“Goodbye Slaine. Pray this peace lasts.”_

 

 

 

**T-Minus 550**

Meanwhile at the American branch, Calm had found himself stationed in the hanger. He had not gotten accustomed yet to the place but it was perhaps the most comfortable of his new location; Calm after all was a mechanic. There were no Sleipnir or Areion units at this hanger, however. Instead Calm was now surrounded with unfinished frames for the next generation of Kataphrakt. He was currently leaning on the railing for the walkways pilots would use to board the Kataphrakt albeit they were not exactly completed. His colleagues were nowhere in sight as they left, not seeing any need to pull overtime. Calm technically wasn't either but he could not help being uncertain what to make of his current situation.

"Not exactly the sight you envisioned, I take it, mechanic?" A female voice questioned.

Calm chuckled and voiced his concerns without much consideration, "We're no longer in a war yet here we are building the next series of killing machines. I had returned hoping to rebuild my country yet... this is what I have been sent to do. But."

Calm felt his wits returning to him. He was sure he was alone in the hanger and doesn't recall any women with this tone of voice, employed here either. Calm had turned to the voice and found himself at awe. Next to him stood a woman overlooking the same frames. The woman wore a lab coat and had conveniently placed her hands in each pocket. She had long auburn brown hair and wore glasses but they could not hide away what drew Calm's attention. Her eyes were a beautiful greenish hazel.

The woman had turned to him and smiled. Calm sheepishly looked away as he could feel his face turning red. She didn't seem much older than him but had the air of being entirely out of his league. He can dream though, right?

She responded, "It can't hurt to be prepared. The war didn't necessarily finish cleanly. Then again..."

Her train of thought seemed to have drifted but instead the woman's gaze had simply returned to the Kataphrakt frames.

"Our best understanding of Aldnoah is still with these war machines," she finished.

Calm let out a hum in agreement. It was the simple and undeniable truth of how limited their understanding of the technology was. However there was some hope in this endeavor. He felt a gentle hand tap his shoulder, which he turned to see the beautiful set of eyes.

"However with your help, I presume you'll make sense of Aldnoah's inner works, Mr. Mechanic?" The woman asked in hopes of cheering up Calm.

Calm felt an idiotic grin escape and before he could regain his composure, someone had yelled from the entrance. It was one of the security guards.

The guard had yelled for the lady, "Ms. Sharon! You have a phone call."

"Thank you. I'm on my way," Sharon hollered back and headed down after waving farewell to Calm.

After she had long left, Calm couldn't help but remain awestruck. He wondered if this was what love at first sight was.

 

 

 

**T-Minus 547**

Princess Lemrina momentarily leaned on the wall with her left and then started to slowly walk down the corridor. She looked to her right as she continued walking forward; she knew where she was heading but the sight to her right was more enchanting. To her right were wall-sized windows, through which the surface of Earth glowed. She knew it was fake as the perspective was entirely wrong and untrue. Princess Lemrina had seen the real thing after all. A chuckle escaped her lips as she caught herself thinking of where such images were coming from and paused where she was. She leaned on the wall a bit more heavily as she took a breath and looked to where her wheelchair was. _“Progress,”_ she thought.

Once she reached the end of the corridor, Princess Lemrina had reached her destination and entered a room. She leaned on the door momentarily and took a breath again before walking slowly towards the desk. With Earth on her mind, Princess Lemrina was curious of what current matters her sister was busy dealing with. “Perhaps, there was still more something I could do,” she said pondered; Harklight and she had reached a current standstill with producing more proposals and were now simply waiting for approval.

Documents in the form of holographic screens were scattered around the empress’s office and were easily visible from the seat of the desk. At first, Princess Lemrina only glanced with disinterest but as she started to read the reports, her eyes narrowed. There was an increase in demand for the ore from Phobos, which were pressing hard on the manual labor involved on the mining site. A scientific report indicated concerns for a possible acceleration for Phobos’ descent onto Mars. Another report was stacked on top of the other and bore the UFE logo. The UFE report refuted the other by stating Phobos would not collide with Mars for several millions of years.

Regardless of the scientific reports, the increasing demand for the ore and the sight of militaristic reports on the other side of the office alarmed her. _“Why is there a sign of rearmament instead of disarmament? What is the meaning of this? And you’re currently concerned with Earth while all of this happening on the home front… Doesn’t this take precedence?”_

Princess Lemrina went to reach for the reports but froze as she suddenly noticed a pair of green eyes watching her. She had not heard her sister enter the room. Immediately, Princess Lemrina stood up from the chair and tried to excuse herself for sitting herself in her sister’s place.

“No. Please sit Lemrina. It’s only recently that you’ve started walking. You shouldn’t get too ahead of yourself,” Asseylum said, “I insist. I’ll even get some tea ready.”

Her half-sister turns towards the door but stopped as Princess Lemrina spoke, “What is the meaning of these documents?”

“They’re the weekly reports from the respective divisions,” Asseylum answered and turned to her sister.

“I see… I assume it is from the military and trade divisions.”

Asseylum nodded and continued, “Currently, Klancain is overseeing the military concerns. Trade with Earth seems to be going well as projected by the advisors.”

“Are there any specific plans for the ore?” Lemrina asked; a dark feeling was weighing on her heart. She feared something that hopefully Asseylum would prove her wrong.

“I’m unaware of the exact projects but the UFE are using it for research purposes alongside the Aldnoah technology we’ve been trading in exchange for oxygen and water, another essential resources,” Asseylum said.

Princess Lemrina’s heart sank. The signs were subtle but it was there. _“They’re rearming themselves and worst of all, we’re supplying them with the necessities to do so. Why doesn’t she see this?”_

“Is something wrong, Lemrina?” Asseylum asked.

_“The peace Slaine was sacrificed for… The peace she acquired from tarnishing his good name and earned position. All of it will be gone and Vers will even be further ruined.”_

She looked to her half-sister sternly and said, “The trades are suspicious even if they are with good intentions.”

“Suspicious? This is a time of peace, Lemrina. We must cast aside our distrust to ensure this peace holds,” Asseylum urged.

Princess Lemrina shook her head and mumbled, “Slaine wouldn’t call this peace.”

“No. He wouldn’t,” Asseylum quickly agreed and looked towards her sister, determined, “he would have continued instigating that war if we had not taken matters out of his hands.”

“You mean Klancain and yourself took charge after Slaine had long surrendered and further emphasized when having him take the fall for our empire’s crimes. You made him the scapegoat out of convenience,” Princess Lemrina accused.

“Slaine would have taken the fall for the achievement of peace,” Asseylum countered and she looked to her hands that were now crossed, “we both had the dream of Mars and Earth working together. His sacrifice has paved the way for that dream to become a reality.”

“… become a reality,” Lemrina repeated and chided, “In other words, it has not been realized and under our very noses, our current ally is being supplied the necessary means to destroy us. Slaine’s ideology still stands correct – it is to either assimilate or entirely annihilate the enemy.”

“No! Slaine would not advocate further bloodshed-“

Lemrina laughed and smirked at her sister’s appalled face. “But he did during the war. He had to. The Orbital Knights long to wage war. Have you forgotten?”

Princess Lemrina watched her sister’s expression dark with each mention of war. She couldn’t help but feel her sister was a lost cause. The coma may have affected her greatly but even then, it’s been so long now. The empress cannot think she could maintain this peace with pretty words; her pretty words had failed her in the earlier half of the war again and again.

Seeing as Asseylum had remained silent, Lemrina stood from the chair and made her way to the door. She passed Asseylum and properly excused herself from the Empress. In the corner of her eye, Lemrina could see Asseylum’s handshake. Perhaps something did get through to her but it didn’t matter anymore for Lemrina. Princess Lemrina made her way down the long golden corridor of the palace and she once more schemed.

Slaine may no longer be with her but she was now determined. She had sworn she would have protected him and had failed. Lemrina was determined to finish what Slaine had failed to do so and she even dared. She dared to think, _“I’ll see to it that your dream is realized, Slaine – the dream you said you didn’t have.”_

 

_**-TBC** _

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> A/N4: I apologize if this chapter is weaker than its previous counterparts. Inaho and Asseylum are difficult to write for me. Do I dislike their characters? On the contrary, I relate with them so much that it hurts, hehe. I find whatever I write with Inaho seems to lose impact and Asseylum's nature of having such good intentions but somehow failing in her way to achieve them, is painful to watch.


	4. "The past is never where you think you left it."

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> A visit from an old friend comes bearing [good] fortune.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> A/N: Trick or treat! Double chapter update! As I mentioned in he previous chapter, I had technically wrote this before chapter three and I couldn't post it due to chronological reasons. One of the downfalls of using a countdown format. Hope you enjoy.

A churning fire, a constant creaking, a needy tug.

She came to looking out the window, where it was clearly snowing outside.

"Mom."

She looked forward and found that she had dozed off in her rocking chair. It couldn't be helped though as it was very comfortable and she was nicely nestled in a blanket and her shawl. However it could get even better as before her was her son.

_"Ah..."_ she thought as she found herself welcoming the boy onto her lap and bringing his favorite book. _"This isn't a dream. This is a memory... a distant one."_

Her heart sank as she started to dissociate from herself in the memory, in the dream. It had been countless years... no.... deep down she knows how long it has been. Fifteen years since she had lived with that man, fifteen years since she lost her son to the red planet. Two and a half years since she lost her son to the war.

The memory was her warmest one with her family. It was a time when they settled the longest; her husband's work made them move alot and it was a growing concern for her as she feared her son would not have any childhood friends to rely on. However she also knew that concern was nothing to her husband. As the days went on, it was clear that she was losing him. He grew ever more obsessed with Aldnoah and claimed he had to finish for the Vers Emperor relied on him.

She closed her eyes, again associating with herself in the dream. _"Let me enjoy this for old time's sake mind,"_ she chided herself. Another voice told her otherwise, it was hers for certain as it was a regret that she will take to the grave. _"No you can't. You could have at least saved your son. You shouldn't have stormed out on them. You shouldn't have let your emotions loose. He's dead. They're both dead and gone. You could have..."_

"Enough," she said out loud and soon bit her lower lip.

In her dream, she had startled her son who had turned to that familiar page but soon looked to her with some fear in his turquoise eyes.

"M-mom?"

"Sorry sweetie, my fringe's getting in the way again. Now uh, which one do you want me to read to you?" She asked.

The child's smile was so radiant, radiant like the sun and filled with endless potential; he was surely going to soar and reach the impossible. She felt her eyes water as she knew this was all fake; this was all a dream. Her son soared all right... he reached for the impossible.

"This one!" The child pointed with great enthusiasm.

"Ah, that one again?" She asked as she sniffled a bit; oh what she would do to grasp him one more time and apologize, perhaps even make everything right...

The child nodded happily. "It's my favorite!"

With her eyes closed, his mother recited the passage as she had read this countless times to her child. For a moment her mind wondered to the present, did her child still dreamt of his favorite bird? Or did his favorite change like the wind?

Regardless, she knew she would never know the answer to that. Perhaps that's why what she was doing now was her futile attempt to move forward while still living in the past.

 

 

 

**T-Minus 536**

The dream faded with the churning fire dying and the child long asleep in her arms.

She awoke to emptiness between her arms and the aches of sleeping in an odd position but most of all from not getting up safely.

An ungrateful man had woken her up. "I apologize Kirsten, I thought you were doing your momentary meditation like you did in the academy."

Kirsten sighed as she got up and fixed her fallen chair, give or take bumping her head on the bottom wing of her current project.

"You guessed wrong Eelis. What brings you to my neck of the woods?" Kirsten said coldly as she worked her way around and behind the biplane she was working on; she refused to look at the man eye-to-eye.

Eelis Hakkinen was once her classmate at the academy for UFE... until she had dropped out for personal reasons. Surely, her old classmate had come to gloat over his recent promotion to Admiral. Why else would he come by?

"Eh? Kirsten you're on the ground?!" A voice hollered from the back of the workshop.

Kirsten answered with a tone of mild confusion, "Yes... why?"

Kirsten stepped back from her biplane and headed towards the opened door, where she met up with Eelis Hakkinen and her fellow mechanic. She looked at Eelis suspiciously before looking where her mechanic was pointing.

"Look at how that biplane soars! I thought it was you as I have never seen anyone pull the Immelmann followed by a Stall Turn." The mechanic complimented.

"You're right, Yuri... I've not seen such a promising pilot in some time like this," Kirsten admitted while watching the plane start making its descent for landing. She turned to the admiral and smirked, with cross arms, "I take it the pilot's one of yours? One in particular that you want me to fawn over? My answer is still no for being an instructor at the academy. We both know how futile it is to fight against Martian aircrafts, let alone their Kataphraktoi."

Eelis Hakkinen smiled and chuckled before turning Yuri, "Would you mind getting us something to drink? "

Yuri looked to Kirsten questionably before Kirsten nodded and he smiled as he responded, "Yes! I'll arrange it in the break room when you're both ready. I'd imagine Kirsten needs to clean off the grease."

"Hey!" Kirsten playfully yelled as Yuri snickered and escaped through the door he came by.

When the door closed, Kirsten's expression returned to being cold. She eyed the admiral as she knew the man had carefully considered their surroundings before answering her questions. "Well?"

"Allow me to introduce you, Mrs. Troyard," Eelis Hakkinen started as he gestured a point to the pilot who had walked over and is now a few steps from Eelis Hakkinen's side.

Kirsten's mood grew sour, which was blatantly more obvious with her frown. The man knew how bitter she still was regarding her surname. She couldn't forgive the man she had married but couldn't bring herself to change her last name, to her such an act was forgetting everything tied to that name. For her son's sake no matter how small her tie had become, she refused to cut off that last bit. She swore to herself she would never forgive or forget the burdens adorn by the name Troyard.

She felt her grip on her arm tighten and her shoulders shudder as the pilot removed his helmet. Her jaw dropped and her eyes began to water.

"Kirsten Troyard, she was a classmate of mine and showed great promise as not only an aviator but a researcher in aerobatic maneuvers and controls for UFE aircrafts and Kataphrakts alike," Eelis Hakkinen continued while smirking; he knew he had succeeded with what he had set out to do.

Her voice was lost to her as it seemed to have died in her throat. She weakly reached uncrossed her arms and hesitantly, barely tried to reach for the pilot.

Had he forgotten her? She was appalled but tried desperately and barely succeeded in keeping herself calm.

The pilot remained expressionless before giving a Versian bow. "Nice to meet your acquaintance, Mrs. Troyard."

"S-same to you..." Kirsten began. "He must have known as he did not introduce himself," she thought to herself before gritting her teeth and resuming her crossed arms.

"I no longer seek your guidance as an instructor, rather we would greatly appreciate your assistance in one of our next-gen projects." Eelis Hakkinen went.

"Next-gen?" Kirsten found herself repeating.

"If I may, Lord Hakkinen," the pilot asked to which Hakkinen chuckled and nodded. The pilot informed Kirsten what the admiral had meant much to Kirsten's perplexity regarding how the pilot addressed the admiral. "We seek your advice in revolutionizing the next unit of UFE Kataphrakts. The next unit will be combining Aldnoah technology and the difference between mobility is one of the many obstacles that impede progress."

"The F-22 Raptor not to your liking?" Kirsten smirks as she tries to play off her growing forgotten anger. The mention of Aldnoah made her unspeakably furious and worse, it was her son that was speaking this nonsense. He was no different from his father. There was no saving him.

"With current Terran technology, there will be a net loss in the trade off between mobility and defensive capability. If we were to fully integrate Martian technology, the current generation of pilots will not be able to operate them."

"You want to bring me aboard to address the ergonomics for a possible full integration or somehow find a hybridization between the two technologies? You make me laugh Hakkinen. You speak of absolute madness in a time of peace." Kirsten refuted in a tone full of spite.

Eelis Hakkinen's smile had faded and as he closed his eyes to think of a response, he turned to the pilot. Her son seemed to have momentarily staggered when she had mentioned peace. Kirsten was alarmed as her son remained unfazed as the admiral so easily invaded her son's personal space and undid the pilot uniform around his neck. A metallic collar could be found and the admiral seemed to be tinkering with a control panel on the back. Her son did not move.... something was off.

"What... are you doing?" Kirsten dared ask; she uncrossed her arms and silently started to step back.

"I'm honestly surprised you weren't astonished to find your son is alive," Eelis said as he stepped away from the pilot, who he asked verification. "Slaine Troyard, who is your commanding officer?"

Slaine turned to Eelis Hakkinen after looking to the ground momentarily, "You are, Admiral Eelis Hakkinen."

"Good. I suppose it still needs some work..." Hakkinen thought to himself as he rested a hand on his chin, pondering.

Kirsten grimaced as she realized what was going on and bolted to the cockpit of the dismantled biplane. She did not get far, however, as Slaine subdued her by tackling her against the plane's body and seized one of her arms.

"Quite the family reunion, I'd have to say." Hakkinen commented as Kirsten cursed under her breath.

"What.. have you done to my son?" She asked while trying her best to glare at the man.

Her eyes watered as, as she could see scars down Slaine's shirt collar and his eyes were not normal. Now that she could see more closely, her son’s turquoise ears adorn an alien glow about them… that familiar golden color...

The man again dodged her question and repeated his earlier proposition, "So Mrs. Troyard, do we have your cooperation?"

She grit her teeth and breathed in heavily. She was frustrated as the man literally and figuratively had her pinned. Hakkinen knew too and what he was about to do, was just out of courtesy for the sake of their friendship. He didn't have to do this; he knew she knew that he had it in him to do this.

Hakkinen had pulled a gun and aimed it perfectly to shoot her son.

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> A/N2: JFYI, I chose fifteen years ago as the time when Slaine's mother had left the family arbitrary. I have not successfully found the original material regarding the parents and so I took a bit of liberty in imagination and creativity on that regard. If anyone knows where I could find the material or more canon-specific information of the parents, I'd greatly appreciate it.
> 
> A/N3: Perhaps chapter 3 was weaker to serve as a little break for this particular chapter. Anyhow, just one more chapter to this prologue...
> 
> Thank you very much for reading!


	5. “I say crier, I say liar, I say rise in hell” ~aLIEz

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> "Someone stop him. Stop me... Please... no more!"
> 
> (save me too, sincerely hakumei_hogosha)

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Oh. My. Goodness... I didn't think I would succeed but against all odds, I managed to successfully write this prologue by Princess Lemrina's birthday. 
> 
> Thank you so much for reading this work and as always, I greatly appreciate the comments and kudos! (^^) This is the first fanfic I went all out for so the support has helped me greatly by motivating me to write what I had in mind. 
> 
> I pray that you enjoy the remainder of this prologue.

**T-Minus 536: [continued]**

For a moment, everything came to a standstill. Nothing but silence enveloped the room until Hakkinen chuckled. “What has gotten over me? It would be wrong for me to do the honors. Surely you both have some things to sort out. However time has not been gentle and even now, seems short."

The admiral walked up to the mother and her son. He offered the gun to the son who took it in his free hand; promptly, the son aimed it at his mother’s temple.

“Perhaps I’m shooting the gun too early but I really think this is something done between family.”  
Hakkinen took a few steps back and nonchalantly watched the two who remained eerily quiet.

“So Slaine, how shall we pursue this? With fire or ice?”

Slaine did not answer yet still firmly held the gun.

_Slaine’s heart sank. He yelled. He cried on top of his lungs. He tried to close his eyes. He tried to flail his arms and to remove the gun from his hands._

_It was all to naught. He could do nothing but watch his very hands do that which he wants not._

“Mars is quite cold, isn’t it?” Hakkinen asked, seemingly off topic.

Slaine confirmed. “Yes, Admiral.”

“Then perhaps a warm welcome is in order.” The admiral walked to the right of the two and opened the gas tank. Drip… Drip. Drip.

It wouldn’t be long before the two would stand in a pool of gasoline. Slaine removed the safety on the gun as Hakkinen smiled, nodding in approval before walking away.

_Slaine knew the woman. He was at a loss. He had thought she was dead. He thought if she had lived maybe life would have played out differently._

_No. She has been alive all this time…_

_Surely something he could not understand then was why she left. He tried to convince._

_It was all to naught. The child in him that embodied his very hope, his one shred of means to keep on living, cried out._

_“Why did she leave me?”_

_“What did I do wrong?”_

“That is all.” Hakkinen went as he turned around on his heel, walking towards the exit of the workshop.

Slaine’s hand trembled as he tried to change the aim of the gun.

_It was not her fault. He was only a child then… he tried to convince himself._

_He tried to cover his ears and close his eyes._

_It was all to naught. His mind would not give him peace. His heart had cried in joy and sadness and he awoke from his mental slumber._

Kirsten mustered her voice and tried her best for it to not sound weak or stutter. “Slaine.”

The gold glimmer in Slaine’s eyes seemed to have intensified; it was clear he was fighting against this outcome neither wanted. Her son’s lower lip quivered as he succeeded in changing the aim of the gun. However it seemed that was the most he could do against that man’s control.

It was still to naught. For she was pinned and knew there was no escape from this fate. As much as she would think Slaine did not want this, she knew the moment he backed away would be the moment she would be smacked down onto the pool of gasoline.

Hakkinen saw no use for her. Even with this “proposition” he made, Hakkinen knew she was cunning and would use every opportunity to save her son now knowing he is within her grasp. Thus this was all a ridiculous scheme out of that man’s spite. Was it simply for Kirsten had the potential to be an even greater admiral than Hakkinen but then cast it aside in the name of love? Was it because she turned Hakkinen down?

To think he would have been so petty… that he would stoop so low.

It didn’t matter. It was all to naught as the worst was before her. Hakkinen had sent her son to do the finishing blow.

The admiral’s footsteps came to a halt. He turned his head but did not look to the two. Yet from the tone of his voice, it could be easily assumed the admiral had a smirk. “He really is your son through and through. Those uncontrollable emotions still pose a problem against that device.”

The admiral started making his way back to the two.

She had run out of time. This was the end. “Slaine,” she called once more and tried her best to give her son one last sincere smile albeit apologetic, “it’s not your fault. I’m sorry to have failed you.”

It was clear Slaine would not finish the deed. The admiral stood right behind Slaine and spoke into the young man’s ear, much to his mother’s horror. “I should have known. You were quite the cold, cold merciless man. You should have shot her.”

Admiral Hakkinen pulled out a lighter and flicked it open. “I already told you how this was going to play out. You should have shot her to spare her the misery.”

A tear went down Slaine’s cheek as he grit his teeth.

 _“Someone stop him. Stop me. Please.”_ He prayed.

With all the willpower he could muster, he shot the gun once. twice. thrice.

 _“No more!”_ He cried.

None hit Hakkinen’s mark. Not his mother. Not the pool of gasoline.

“You insolent fool!” Hakkinen yelled as he pulled the gun out of Slaine’s hand and backhandedly slapped the ashen blond to the side. Slaine fell to the ground.

No longer pinned by Slaine, Kirsten immediately charged but Hakkinen had anticipated her. He elbowed her back onto the side of the biplane.

Hakkinen grimaced. He couldn’t shoot Kirsten for he had her pinned with the arm yielding the gun. Instead he hit her hard with the back of the gun, making Kirsten fall to the ground. He then promptly dropped the lighter as he hustled out of the pool of gasoline.

Slaine weakly turned and looked in horror. He kept asking him why this had to happen; the fire would surely consume everything in its wake. Like his savior, his mother was out of his grasp. He was powerless no matter how much and how long he struggled. Nothing would go his way.

“What’s going on? I heard gunshots!”The other mechanic in the workshop yelled; Slaine’s gunshots were heard. _“Thank god. Someone could save her.”_

Relief washed over him; his consciousness was fading again. Everything was gradually going to black.

 _“Someone stop him. Stop me. Please.”_ He prayed.

Everything lit on fire around Kirsten but she felt none of the heat. She was going in and out of consciousness; Hakkinen’s smack surely caused an incoming blackout. Kirsten tried to fight back. She knew she couldn’t afford staying in this fire. Not when her son was watching. Not her son she “abandoned.”

That day she walked out in blind rage and frustration, was the day she eternally regretted to this day. She did not intend to walk out of his life.

She had only intended to leave the house for a few hours… and a few hours later did she return finding her husband and child gone, barely packing anything with them.

 _“If only I had not walked out that day,”_ she found herself thinking. The fire was closing on her.

She still felt no fear or the heat of the flame. She only felt disappointment and self-loathing. Outside the fire was her son. Once again out of reach. Once again she was unable to do anything for him but to inflict more pain. Even under that man’s control, her son had fought.

All was set ablaze and the admiral’s silhouette gradually fade away in the flames. Everything went to red.

 

 

 

**T-Minus 528**

Princess Lemrina fretted as she had reached a wall, literally. In theory she should have access to almost all the entries available on the Vers Empire network. Her sister had provided her everything she could within reason for her sister to help their people.

Could her sister still think she was still prone to bouts of depression if searching and investigating files regarding Slaine?

Nonetheless, it did not matter. The best person -- second only to Slaine -- for the job had made his way into Princess Lemrina’s study and kneeled.

“I apologize for my tardiness, Princess Lemrina,” Harklight said before standing back up and inquiring, “what assistance can I provide?”

She turned her holographic screen around for Harklight to face and the blaring error message now reflected on the tall man’s face. “Hack this for me.”

“I understand but do know--”

“I know. However this additional encryption is suspicious to me.”

Harklight nodded and started to work his magic in accessing the file.

“Got it, Princess Lemrina,” Harklight reported but as he was going to say what the file had, he found himself at a loss of words for he was confused at what he was seeing.

It wasn’t long before Princess Lemrina got up from her seat and looked at the screen. She became alarmed as the file contained images of the late Emperor Gilzeria and another man with ashen blond hair. Slowly Harklight scrolled down the file and the content of the file was mind blowing. The content befuddled them but the princess realized. With this file, she could potentially--

“Your Highness... “ Harklight began.

Princess Lemrina had shared the information she had gathered that day from her sister’s office to Harklight. Surely, the man was thinking the same thing.

“Yes.” Princess Lemrina confirmed what he suspected and she continued, “I plan to go through with the plan.”

Harklight remained quiet and stared at her. He then promptly walked to her side and knelt. “Your wish is my command, Your Highness.”

Princess Lemrina foresaw this possibility and internally, greatly appreciated it. However, she knew what she was planning to do would lead the man down a path of no return. “Harklight, you are fully aware that if you follow me on this endeavor you would be considered a traitor and there will surely be no return to your current rank.”

Harklight chuckled much to Princess Lemrina’s surprise and he smiled while looking at the princess. “You need not say another word, Princess Lemrina. As I told Lord Slaine that day, I made my peace with death long ago. And to you Your Highness, we swore to strive for the objectives Slaine was unable to achieve.”

She closed her eyes and nodded. There was no point turning back now; all the preparations have been made and with this new information, she had the trump card she needed to secure everything.

 

 

 

**T-Minus 499**

The sandstorm died down with the cacophony of falling metal. As the storm cleared, two Martian Kataphrakts stood in the center of a makeshift arena comprised of sand dunes and the Sirenum had victory in its grasp. Count Mazuurek’s Kataphrakt pointed its arm and gravity spheres toward the opposing Kataphrakt, a golden Kataphrakt that had discarded its shattered sword and shield on either side.

“Finish me,” the pilot of the opposing Kataphrakt demanded.

Count Mazuurek shook his head in the cockpit as he refused, “No. The very idea of duels have been banned by Her Highness--”

“Her Highness challenges the very ethics of our people. She is no ruler to me.”

“You swore fealty to the Imperial Family--”

“This is a waste of breath. Finish me for the sake of tradition,” the pilot again demanded.

“I will do no such thing, Stornhelm!” Count Mazuurek repeated and went so far as no longer showing any signs of hostility.

A sigh could be heard through the communication link and the once defeated Kataphrakt sat up and retrieved its sword.

“I suppose if you won’t, then the next best thing I can do--”

Count Mazuurek immediately summoned his gravity spheres and went for the suiciding Kataphrakt, “STOP!”

The count had acted too quickly and forgot the defeated Kataphrakt’s capability; it behaved like a super capacitor and the two Kataphrakts were currently similarly charged. The Sirenum flew in the opposite direction as the defeated knight had slashed his sword towards Sirenum. The swing was not meant for injury, rather to push away the Sirenum. Count Mazuurek grimaced as he knew his mistake and he had been outplayed.

As the duel had not concluded as anticipated, the sand dunes started to shake and revealed to be made of KG-7 Areion Kataphraktoi.

“Heh. I knew you were not alone. You were always the least willing to fight, Mazuurek.” Stornhelm remarked and turned his blade inwards to himself. “Mark my words. This is not the end. There is another that fights for the people of Vers. Farewell Mazuurek.”

In one quick motion, Stornhelm fell silent and his Kataphrakt fell limp on its knees. Count Mazuurek laid down his weapon as he punched the side of his console. Another of his comrades had fallen. Another war may potentially be on the horizon.

 

 

 

**T-Minus 413 Death of a [Kataphrakt Pilot]**

“Nao-kun, don’t forget to see Doctor Yagari once a month,” Yuki reminded as she finished packing her things near the front door. She was leaving bright and early.

Inaho leaned against the kitchen counter and arms crossed. He remained quiet.

“You hear me, Nao-kun?” Yuki asked while still having her back to him.

The order had arrived. Yuki was to be sent to Mars as a part of a small force tasked to help the Vers Empire investigate a possible rebellion or Civil War in the making.

Inaho finally spoke, “Yuki-ne. A Civil War is afoot and UFE involvement will only accelerate it.”

“Nao-kun…” Yuki said and turned to her little brother who retained his expressionless face but she knew he was worried for her sake.

She walked up to him and hugged him. “And that is why Lt. Marito, Rayet and I are the only ones going. We are only there for minimal support. Observation and Investigation purposes only!”

Yuki had said the last part as she released Inaho from her embrace and gave him a peace sign and joking face. Unfortunately, Inaho’s worry did not lessen.

“I can’t protect you this time,” Inaho said.

Yuki grimaced as she too was familiar with this behavior… after all this was why he kept fighting in the war. “You don’t need to. You have already. Countless times,” Yuki thought but could foresee how little such words would do. It wouldn’t change the fact Inaho was now a civilian as she had wanted and in turn, now she had to live with this outcome of seeing her brother enveloped in inevitable powerlessness.

Inaho closed his eyes and sighed before returning to the kitchen. Yuki felt her heart sank. She knew she should have said something but… nothing came to mind. Nothing could comfort him or her for they both knew where this was heading.

 

 

 

**T-Minus 400: Kestrel Out**

The door to the gas tank creaked and was slammed shut by the smack of a palm. The hand the palm belonged to, remained on the body of the biplane and gently brushed to the right. Slowly but surely the palm rose and the fingers arrived to an insignia of the biplane. The paint was long ruined from the fire yet the mere fact its aviator was able to recover it to this extent was nothing short of a miracle.

The body of the biplane shone from being newly washed and as the aviator stared, she could see her reflection. Her long golden hair had been burnt in the fire Hakkinen ignited all around her. Ironically her hair was now the same length as her son and in some twist of fate, they could easily be confused as one another. Hair however can grow back. Scars cannot fade. Things broken once, don’t return to their original form, either. Her left arm and the area under her chin had suffered severe burns. Again it was a miracle that she only such injuries.

“No, that was no miracle,” she mumbled as she removed her gaze from the biplane and towards her fellow mechanic; she could hear his footsteps come to a halt a few steps away from her.

Yuri was not at all pleased with what he was seeing considering his crossed arms and obvious frown. It was thanks to the gunshots her son had fired that Yuri had come as soon as he reasonably could and managed to prevent the workshop and herself from burning down to the ground.

Kirsten gave a weak smile as she knew what she was going to say was not going to be easy for either of them to understand. She knew what she was going to do was madness. It was impossible considering her opponent was Hakkinen, Admiral of the United Force of Earth, who had every tool on Earth available -- including her son. But she knew she had to do this. She had failed once. No. She never tried. Seriously. She had convinced herself that her husband and son were the ones that abandoned her after her long struggle of traveling all over the world, looking for them to only learn they had left for Mars. Kirsten could have easily followed them up there; she was resourceful -- more so than her ditzy husband.

Yuri sighed and uncrossed his arms; instead he rested his palms on his waist as he looked away. “You’re going, aren’t you?”

Kirsten was stunned that Yuri didn’t wait for her to speak. Her smile grew as she nodded; he understood without her having said anything. It shouldn’t have been a surprise. She had known the man since he was half her size. Yuri was a war orphan who she had picked up from a workshop where she had incidentally tried to get repairs done to her biplane. He had shown promise to be a great mechanic as she had overheard his accurate counterargument against the chief mechanic of the workshop. Ever since, they had been together. In a way perhaps, Yuri was like the son she never got the chance to raise. They never went through the adoption papers though; they were never mentioned or brought up. Yuri must have known Kirsten had baggage regarding family and considering Hakkinen’s last visit to the workshop, Yuri should have been able to put it together.

The young mechanic pulled out a pouch and tossed it at the aviator. “No point trying to stop you. Ever since you picked me up that day, I’ve watched you. I’ve envied you for that desire to find your family. Ever skyward, ever heavenward you looked. You’ve been itching to do this, Kirsten. You just haven’t as you had no clue and given the media…”

Yuri trailed off into silence as he wasn’t sure how to address Kirsten’s son. He knew his name for sure but the topic still seemed beyond him in some ephemeral way he could not make of.

“Nonetheless, you should really consider doing something about your appearance. You could get away with it earlier because you had the long hair but now... “

“I know but this is intentional,” Kirsten responded as she grinned and placed the pouch into the plane. She made her way to the ladder and into the cockpit. “This is a blessing as it’ll help get more clues once on Mars.”

Yuri staggered at the sound of Mars and he exclaimed, “Mars?! Your son’s glued to the heel of that sociopath admiral whose -- I kindly remind you -- currently working and currently for as far as I can see, is remaining on Earth!”

Kirsten sternly looked to the Yuri after having finished her first round of checking her controls, “Hakkinen would have gladly left Slaine in a prison or out-right killed him at the end of the war. Slaine’s been on Mars until two years ago. There’s something Hakkinen wants on Mars and I plan to find out -- if anything, a way to remove that dreaded mind-controlling device he has on my son!”

“Heh, well it sounds like you have a plan. I’ll assume you’re heading to the Hypergate so make sure to leave the invoice for me wherever you park this,” Yuri said.

Kirsten’s expression loosened and she nodded. “Will do. I leave the shop in your care, Yuri!”

“Yeah but it’s only for awhile, you hear Agent Kestrel?” Yuri hollered as Kirsten had started the engine and the propeller had started picking up speed.

Kirsten gave the thumbs up as she exited the workshop and made her way to the runway.

 

 

 

**T-Minus 365: "Some birds are not meant to be caged at all.”**

Princess Lemrina knew it was inevitable and that this was bound to happen. She anticipated. She expected this to happen. The question was when and where would she be when it did occur. Thankfully, Harklight was a very considerate man -- maybe too considerate -- as he considered a ridiculous number of possibilities in which this situation would play out. She had teased the loyal servant about his habit of his but he did not seem amused. He had said that typically the worst possibility or the one he deemed impossible, would befall their fallen comrade. Harklight did not want to take another chance. He did not want to run the risk.

“STOP!” An imperial foot soldier demanded and aimed his pistol at her.

She smirked as she leaned onto the wall and turned off the gravity control in the corridor. The soldier had not foreseen this and stumbled, flailing about as he was caught off guard. Immediately, Princess Lemrina took the opportunity to make as much progress she could down the corridor from her initial jump off the ground and head towards the docking bay.

“The most they can send is half a squad to this docking bay if it’s only been five minutes. If it’s any more than that…” Harklight had told her before.

Princess Lemrina had interrupted him back then as she believed she’d make it. She had to make it.

“As you expected Harklight,” she thought to herself; her smirk having yet left her face and she pulled out a pistol and shot the nearest fire extinguisher.

Upon impact the extinguisher released its contents and blinded the soldiers. Again Princess Lemrina kicked off from the wall and rolled past the guards, through the docking bay doors. She could hear Harklight finishing his commands for the docking bay to clear and having his men leave the facility. His voice came from his Kataphrakt and his voice rang strong and with no trace of hesitation. However as the princess literally rolled in, Harklight stopped speaking and with his Kataphrakt’s hand, retrieved the princess and opened his cockpit for her to come aboard. Before she did though, Harklight and her stopped as they heard a pair of footsteps walk into the room; the gravity controls were restored outside the room.

“Princess Lemrina, cease and desist. Otherwise your current actions will be deemed treason against the crown,” Count Klancain declared, “The same goes for you as well Sir Harklight as well as your men.”

“Lemrina, please! You do not need to go through with this!” Empress Asseylum pleaded with open arms.

The full squad of Imperial infantry assigned to this docking bay, now assembled around the two monarchs and readied their weapons. Princess Lemrina had narrowed her eyes as she gazed at her sister and eyed the assembling guards. She smirked as she stood up, standing tall and as dignified as she could. Princess Lemrina was now standing before her factions, the loyalists to Slaine’s ideals, the ideals she sought to continue. She had to look strong for them now. This was it. This was her time.

“Foolish sister. If that were the case, you need not summon a squad and point their weapons at me. This does not establish a place for peaceful negotiation,” Princess Lemrina pointed out.

The empress opened her mouth to speak but her escort spoke first. “The same can be said to you Princess Lemrina. Even in this arrangement, you still have the upper hand -- the airlock, a Kataphrakt and a docking bay surely filled with loyalists.”

“Yes and I intend to leave with them. I seek to leave this facility, willingly and preferably without any opposing force. Otherwise I will retaliate in kind,” Princess Lemrina said.

“Where.. would you go? The Moon base is no more, Lemrina.” The empress inquired in worry.

“If we let you leave here, you are laying the foundation for insurgence. We cannot let that happen,” Count Klancain replied.

The princess sighed. Again her brother-in-law and half sister acted the way she expected them to . They were too fargone. There was no more point in continuing this discussion.

Princess Lemrina walked into the cockpit of the Herschel. “I see this is a moot point; there is no room for negotiation with those of the old era. Come my comrades, this era is ours! Make your way to the airlock! Harklight, now!”

“As you wish, Your Highness!” Harklight confirmed and closed the hatch as he waved his Kataphrakt’s arm to direct his projectiles and lay down the path for escape and rebellion.

The alarms sounded as the air pressure drastically dropped in the docking bay and caused the squad, Empress Asseylum and Count Klancain to retreat back into the corridor.

Once outside the docking bay and leaving the Martian atmosphere, a Stygis Meister asked through the communication link, “Where to, Lord Harklight?”

Harklight looked to Princess Lemrina who nodded. They were going to go through with it and pray that for once fate would be on their side.

“To Deimos.”

_**To be continued…** _

_**Part 2: The Dark Side of Mars** _


	6. Can You Remember [True] Happiness?

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Happiness is a complex simplicity of life.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

>  **A/N:** Surprise!.. I've been debating whether or not to make another post for the second part and in the end, this happened:  
>  (╯°□°)╯︵ ┻━┻  
> (in other words, I think for the time-being I'll just keep updating this post instead of making a new one and having all the content split everywhere @_@)
> 
> **A/N2:** I greatly appreciate the comments ^^; I cannot stress it enough how thankful and grateful I am. *bows*

**T-Minus: 336 days**

_Do you know what happiness is? Do you know if it’s real?_

The turquoise eyes looked cluelessly and questionably at the window. The person gazed towards the starry night. It was going to be another long night at the American Branch hanger. The project needs to be done. He wants it done and the deadline is approaching.

A breather is needed. The coffee is too hot to drink though.

_“One moment please,”_ the person asked as a sigh escaped and their eyes closed.

_Is this happiness? Is this what happiness feels?_  
_The feeling of soaring? The sensation of endless possibilities within your grasp?_  
_The scary yet comforting feeling that that everything would surely be all right?_

There were memories that were not hers but they seemed to resonate with her quandary. She knew she shouldn’t slip into the memories. He wouldn’t like it… after all, he had spent all this time for this plan and she simply existed for its success. That was all there was to it.

_However can that really sustain one’s existence?_  
_Can she be human? Can he be considered human? Is it a concern of pity?_

She laid her hand on the window and then rested her forehead on the window, still her eyes remained closed.

_“Long, long ago,”_ she found a memory voice itself in her mind.

 

 

 

Giddy laughs. Tons and tons of chuckles and laughs and snorts. A family playfully gathered at a picnic table. A small child jumped off his mother’s lap and jolted around the table.

His father playfully scolded, “Come back here you little rascal, you!”

The child mindlessly laughed in response and changed his trajectory, no longer running loops around the table but towards the peak of the small hill they were on. His father followed him, playing along but then picked up speed. As they were nearing the peak of the hill, his father swooped him by his sides and spun. Like a practiced motion, the child spread his arms like if they were wings and his father made sounds like an airplane flying overhead. The child’s mother chuckled as she followed the two.

After a few spins, his father rested the child in his arms as they looked to the horizon.

“Looky! Looky! Robin! Robin!” The child exclaimed and pointed.

The parents laughed and looked to one another. “Think we may have a biologist on our hands,” the child’s mother said with a smile.

“Mayhaps, but maybe he’ll grow into being a computer scientist,” the father commented albeit sounding a bit sour.

His wife snorted as she covered her mouth, trying to cover a possible uncontrollable laugh, “You’re still hurting after what he did to your laptop, aren’t you dear?”

The child became restless and soon this father let him down to run off. His father nervously chuckled as a response to his wife who only snickered but soon took a deep breath, stretching. Again their son was spreading his arms and running about.

The child’s mother crossed her arms, bringing her shawl closer. “The possibilities are endless.”

 

 

 

She didn’t experience the memories for she had not existed then but the sensation was familiar. The sensation was not from the memories of freely spreading one’s wings or the affection of the child’s parents. It was that sensation of recalling something she had no right to have. “Right” wasn’t the right word. It never was the correct term for either of them – her or him.

That happiness was out of reach. The possibilities were no longer endless for how forgone they both were, for how far they’ve gone down this path of no return.

_“Giving into despair is a foolish choice.”_

It felt wrong to consider her happiness. Everything could become nothing any moment he wanted. Both the Admiral and the one she is replacing had that power over her.

But that was beside the point. What was happiness for someone for her? for him?

It seems like something unobtainable. Something that made you feel like you’re on top of the world. Something made you feel like any moment could be your last.

“Sharon?” A familiar voice asked.

She lifted her head from the window. In her reflection, her turquoise eyes outlined in gold shimmered and turned hazel. Sharon turned to face the voice and smiled.

_Was this happiness?_

The blond mechanic stupidly grinned as he tried to stuttered and stumbled, attempting to make a conversation when clearly the two had work to do and he needed her expertise. However it was clear the two enjoyed one another’s companionship. It wouldn’t be long before Calm would ask, she predicted as the man’s affection was clear as day.

He didn’t know the truth about her but she did not see any point.

_What would knowing do for her dire, helpless, powerless situation?_

As they neared the hanger, Sharon had found herself having outpaced Calm in walking towards their project. She turned to inquire why he had slowed down but she didn’t need to.

“Sharon… I know that this may make things awkward but… I…” Calm started.

Sharon smiled to herself as she turned herself to fully pay attention to the man. Calm was confessing to her. It was bound to happen.

_She should turn him down. Lower the risk. Increase the success for this plan._

The mechanic had finished and looked earnestly to Sharon. She could see his nervousness, his anxiousness as he tried to look his best.

A distant memory started to come to mind. It surely wasn’t hers. It was his. The memory of companionship. It was a simple happiness. He had shared his love of nature and Earth to the light of his life. He gave his all and hope to achieve the dreams of his step-father and a loyal servant that helped him achieve his objectives. He prayed dearly for a lonely girl that had surely fallen for him but he felt it was not right to sully her with his bloodstained hands and that his life was not his – it had been long sworn to that light.

“Sharon?” Calm asked, worriedly. She had yet to speak and surely it’s been more than a good minute.

Sharon felt a tear fall down her cheek and a smile escaped her lips.

“I do too, very much so Calm. Very much so.” She responded and the man celebrated by crying out and cheering, waving his arms into the air.

She laughed and wiped away the tear. She too was smiling like an idiot. She knew she had done something idiotic.

_Happiness was within her reach. It could be simple. It could be delusional. It could be fleeting. Even if it’s only for a short time, this is all she could ask for and she was fine with that. He was too, she was sure._

As the two finally went back to their work, Sharon could feel a heavy sense of nostalgia wash over her. Her other self for a moment had risen a storm in her. A memory of a glass room. A red eyed man telling the Empress’s final request.

Again it was like an act of answering her question. She could tell from that memory, it was relief and true happiness, even if it was just for a moment. He had been emotionally touched that the Empress had remembered him and had wanted him spared. He was happy that everything he had done still amounted to something – that so-called peace that seemed so far to her.

_But that was all a delusion. This peace would not last. Their prayers would go unanswered. No one can stop this plan now._

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> **A/N3:** This was suppose to be a one-shot...


	7. "The enemy of my enemy is my friend."

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> **.-- .. .-.. .-.. / -.-- --- ..- / ... .- -.-. .-. .. ..-. .. -.-. . / . ...- . .-. -.-- - .... .. -. --. / ..-. --- .-. / - .... . / ... .- -.- . / --- ..-. / - .... . / ..-. ..- - ..- .-. . ..--../ -....- ... -**

**Notes for the Chapter:**

>  **A/N** : And so part two begins! The previous chapter served as an intermission. :3 I really enjoyed the comments from last chapter (maybe too much) as to who Sharon is; this chapter should help lessen the guessing game.. or does it? >:3 I do assure you though, I've had Sharon's identity planned since the prologue hehe. If anything this chapter has alot of coincidences *cough*.
> 
> **A/N2** : Thanks so much for the continued support!

_**Part II: The Dark Side of Mars** _

 

**T-Minus 300 days**

"Aww... get to the good stuff," Calm groaned.

"Calm! You can't rush an inaugural speech!" Inko exclaimed as she finished packing some food for the group.

Calm had returned from the American Branch of the UFE for their annual reunion. The old group of friends had met up at Inko's family restaurant an hour ago or so. They were preparing to head off but waited for a few moments for their attention was on the nearby television.

Nina chuckled. "I can just imagine how many times Calm has had to watch this on his flight here."

Calm nodded proudly and his face beamed when the Empress's speech essentially concluded. "For in these last two years of peace, together -- Earth and Vers -- have formed a bridge between our two worlds through the Hypergate and opened trade. Technological advancement has been forthcoming and shows promise for further growth with the aid of Aldnoah technology. Surely, we can achieve even greater accomplishments in the time to come. People of Earth, let us work together for a brighter tomorrow."

The blond mechanic playfully coughed and cleared his throat. "That's right! This mechanic is on the forefront of that research!"

Inko sighed; they were making their way out of the restaurant. "No need to be so smug about it. I would be more worried someone from the UFE would reprimand you for advertising it so loudly." She teased but continued with a more troubled expression. "And anyhow... shouldn't Seylum-- I mean the Empress be worried about other things..."

Inko eyed Inaho who had been busying himself on his mobile. She could see some images and headlines involving riots on Vers. Her heart sank when seeing a familiar face of the fallen dictator; his visage was plastered on one of the rioter's banner. She was caught off guard as Inaho got a text message, which looked like spam.

**[ .-- .. .-.. .-.. / -.-- --- ..- ]**

"Eek. What the--" Inko said, shocked to think even Inaho would receive such mail, especially as he was now a computer scientist as a profession.

Inaho did not seem alarmed from the text message and actually seemed remotely interested with the message, far more than Inko would consider. "Inaho?" She asked.

The brunette looked up from his phone to Inko. He put his phone away in the same motion as holding the door open for the group. Calm was already head of the pack but was carrying his luggage; his flight would be soon after this. On the other hand, both Inko and Nina had their hands full with their university bags alongside either food or a bouquet of flowers.

Inko looked at Inaho, unimpressed. She couldn't determine if the brunette was purposely dodging her implied question or if he was not paying attention. Lately it had been the latter. Ever since Yuki-ne was sent on an assignment, Inko could tell her dear friend had not been the same. Perhaps he was worried. She hoped it was that and nothing medical.

Once leaving the restaurant, the group of friends started making their way down the sidewalk and proceeded towards a destination they needed not confirm.

Nina caught up to Calm and elbowed the mechanic. There was a mischievous glimmer in her eye as she smiled. "You seem happier than the last time you were here, Calm!"

"O-oh you don't say," Calm chuckled and tried to look away. He was definitely abnormally chipper for where they were going. Nina kept humming. Calm added, "it's nothing! Really, nothing!"

Nina's eyes narrowed as she started intently at Calm whose chuckle slowly became more nervous.

Inko smirked and joined the two with Inaho still trailing behind them. The brunette again opened his phone briefly before closing it again.

**[ ... .- -.-. .-. .. ..-. .. -.-. . ]**

Inko took a leap of faith and spoke, "Someone's got a girlfriend!"

Calm jumped and was about to speak but soon found himself idiotically laughing, giggling creepily even to himself. Inaho smiled gently as Calm became the subject of the two girls' pestering; they were trying to get the details of Calm's girlfriend. Calm tried to back away from the two but it was futile. The two girls managed to grapple him from his sides -- Nina on his right and Inko on his left.

"So what's she like, Calm?" Nina started and gleefully chuckled.

"Sharon's--" Calm started at first.

"Oh her name's Sharon?" Inko asked, following suit with a smirk.

"Ye-yeah. She's from the European branch originally but was transferred-- "Calm continued before being caught off guard by Nina's tug.

Nina got closer to Calm's face, much to his discomfort, "Any pictures? Surely you have one!"

Inko winked when Nina glanced in Nina's direction, which left Calm struggling every way he possible could.

"No wait! Hey! Don't crumble it!" Calm exclaimed as Nina and Inko had seized Calm's wallet. Obviously that was where he would keep the picture in question. Calm groaned as the two successfully found the photograph and gasped before chuckling mischievously.

"She's so cute!" Nina said.

"Mhm! Too good for you even, Calm!" Inko said before slapping Calm's shoulder in congratulations.

Inaho momentarily changed his gaze from his group of friends to his phone, which had again vibrated.

**[ . ...- . .-. -.-- - .... .. -. --. ]**

He looked at the text notification for a long moment before finally turning off his phone.

Inaho again looked to his friends who continued the horseplay while they waited for the crosswalk. Soon, his gaze wandered to the main road they had been walking down. No sign of war could be found in the area. If anything, it looked like life had moved on. He himself was an example of that. Neither his friends nor himself adorn their school uniforms and furthermore, they had gone separate paths in life. Inaho now wore a business casual attire and had his lanyard carrying his badge resting inside his chest pocket. He was no longer associated with the UFE. Inko and Nina were dressed casually as they were university students. Only Calm seemed the closest to where they were a few years back; the blond still adorn his mechanic scrubs underneath his usual winter jacket.

However among their group of friends from high school, only one of them remained timeless.

The horseplay ended as they reached a particular intersection. Today the intersection was no different from any typical intersection the four had walked past on the way. However this intersection was significant. This was where they had lost their first friend, Okisuke to what Calm had called the pill bug. With his death, they could have considered it the end of their high school days when the reality hit them that the second interplanetary war had begun. The drills they had practiced in school were no longer just for academic purpose and the stakes were higher. Okisuke was a testament to that. He was a reminder of the things they took for granted.

Time was also a testament to the transition from then to now. The intersection before them no longer showed any of the ailments that befell it that day. The buildings were not reduced to a pile of rubble by a Martian Kataphrakt. The four were not scrambling anywhere; they were not trying to rescue someone from a fallen Kataphrakt and simultaneously running from the Martian Kataphrakt. Now the intersection looked like it did before -- any typical intersection -- where anyone could drive by leisurely or as the four friends, casually stood at the intersection.

They could have gone to the official grave for their friend but for some reason they agreed, it wasn't the same. The four were with him in his final moment -- here at this intersection. Nina laid the bouquet next to the crosswalk and the four paid their respects to the makeshift grave. Calm kneeled down to the makeshift grave and spoke to it as if it was Okisuke before them.

"Be jealous man. I found someone."

Inko and Nina chuckled; they had already seen what Calm retrieved from his wallet. It was a photograph of what looked like a formal party. Calm and a group of colleagues had gathered before a camera with some folks holding Canadian beer and even some adorn the party hats -- Calm proudly sported both. Calm pointed to a woman he had his arm wrapped around and went on. The woman had long auburn brown hair but the most enchanting pair of hazel green eyes.

"Her name is Sharon Hakkinen. I know! She's the Admiral's granddaughter so god knows how long this may last but! She's unbelievable Okojo! Absolutely! Unbelievable!"

Calm continued and had the silliest smile on his face. He was radiating happiness.

"Sharon and I... we both go on and on about machinery. No surprise right? She's well versed with the Martian technology and it's a constant challenge to work out the ergonomics between our two technologies. Although--"

He let out a chuckle, which Nina commented in a whisper, "Creepy..."

Inko had her arms propped on her waist and agreed, nodding. "Mhm! This lady's man..."

Calm turned with a reddened face," HEY! I haven't even gotten to that part."

"But what about the," Inko cleared her throat and playfully imitated Calm's expression, "She's unbelievable! Absolutely! Unbelievable!"

The blond blushed even harder as he seemed to be getting a bit upset but calmed down and mumbled, "Well... she is... and speaking of which..."

Calm returned his gaze to the makeshift grave and grinned.

"And just you wait, Okojo! Next year I"ll bring her for you to meet!"

"HAH?" Inko exclaimed and to which Calm turned to her with a silly smile and thumbs up.

"We can't keep coming here looking sad. Okojo wouldn't want that so I want to make this a happy memory for him and ourselves," Calm shared his thought.

Nina let out a squeal as Inko elbowed Calm more roughly, she responded to his clearly thought-out consideration, "Someone's ambitious."

Calm smirked and rested his arm firmly on Inaho's shoulder.

"And you of course are my best man! With you surely it will be a success," Calm said.

Inaho weakly agreed, "All's fair in love and war."

Inaho looked to Okisuke's makeshift grave as his friends laughed and joked about Calm's proclamation. It was asinine but it definitely brightened the mood. It further cemented the idea that life had definitely moved on since that day... or at least made it more plausible for Inaho to try to convince himself. In one way or another, it still felt like it was yesterday or even just a moment ago. Okisuke was the first person he had reached out for and failed to save. Briefly, the image of Seylum on the television came to mind and he remembered he failed her too. He failed to continue holding her hand in Russia and fulfilling her promise. The last person Inaho had reached for and seemed to successfully hold onto had passed away a little over a year ago.

His former nemesis Slaine Troyard had passed on due to a blood clot found lodged in his brain. Perhaps fate had been generous to give his former enemy a quick death but it did not free Inaho in feeling that he had failed. However Inaho could just imagine Okisuke telling him to think nothing more of it and possibly suggest trying one of his random games on the device he use to carry around to distract Inaho. Such a distraction wouldn't succeed though. Inaho rebooted his cellphone as they arrived at the train station; Inaho needed to see what time it was. Three new text messages since he turned it off.

Inaho put away his phone again as it was clear Calm's train was boarding.

Inko pouted, "Seriously Calm, two days are not enough time to catch up with us!"

Calm clapped his hands together and apologized, "It can't be helped! The work I'm in charge of has a tight window and is really important to the Aldnoah Research. But!"

Calm gave a thumbs up to the three and grinned before continuing. "We're almost done! Next year I'll be back longer and Sharon will be with me!"

Inko laughed as Nina corrected Calm, "Suure, Calm! You'd hope! She's so out of your league!"

"Come on! Cut me some slack!" Calm cried and then looked to Inaho, "Help me out, man. They're kicking me while I’m down."

Inaho covered his mouth to hold back a laugh. He commented, "No need."

Calm backed away surprised as his best friend had declined to help him but soon realized the train alarm had gone off. He picked up his other luggage and stepped into the train. Calm turned to his friends before the gates closed.

"Good point Inaho! Until next time, Inko! Nina! Inaho! Take care!" He went as he raised his hand.

The three returned the gesture as the train started to depart the train station and once out of sight, Inko and Nina were getting their bearings. Inaho followed them to the center of the train station, where they waited a little longer before going to their train. They needed to catch a train back to the university.

"If only we were as close to work as you are, Inaho," Nina sighed, "class technically isn't for another hour but it takes just as long to get there from here."

Inaho nodded, "It is definitely cost efficient."

"You sure you're not talking about your egg sales?" Inko joked.

Inaho simply smiled. Inko knew she was spot on and then noticed the time. Inaho rose his hand in farewell as Inko grabbed Nina's arm and started to make a dash for their train.

With that, they had gone their separate ways and as if he was back tracking the path they had walked, Inaho proceeded out of the train station. He was about to continue back to his workplace but stopped. He leaned onto the nearby wall and looked at the most recent text message intently before looking back at the previous six. At first the messages seemed like spam. However there was indeed a message -- an encrypted one albeit only in Morse code.

**.-- .. .-.. .-.. / -.-- --- ..- / ... .- -.-. .-. .. ..-. .. -.-. . / . ...- . .-. -.-- - .... .. -. --. / ..-. --- .-. / - .... . / ... .- -.- . / --- ..-. / - .... . / ..-. ..- - ..- .-. . ..--../ -....- ... -**

**[Will You] [Sacrifice] [Everything] [For the] [Sake of] [The Future] [-ST]**

This may now very well be an intricate prank.

_"I no longer have any need for a future!"_

Slaine Troyard was never fond of the future, let alone the present. Before Inaho had informed the fallen dictator of the Empress's request, Slaine had done everything to commit suicide until the guards placed him under suicide watch. Even after informing, there was little vigor left in his former nemesis.

_"Then again..."_ Inaho thought to himself and another text arrived. This time it was a set of numbers but not in Morse code and simply a coordinate.

Inaho stood up from the wall and headed not to work but home. He needed to get a few things if this was more than a well construed joke.

 

 

***

 

 

It was not a joke.

The coordinates had led him to a building that had been abandoned midway in its construction. Upon arriving, he found himself to be a target

Huff. Huff. Huff.

Inaho heaved as he tried to catch his breath while staying alert. He hid behind a cement pillar and momentarily took a peek beyond that.

_**Bang!** _

Quickly, he hid back behind the cement pillar and closed his eye and kept his pistol close. He tried to listen for the one after him.

Nothing. Not even the sound of an empty bullet canister rang throughout the abandoned, uncompleted building. Inaho opened his eyes and although his expression remained blank, he had started to wonder if he was hallucinating or finally losing to whatever ailment that could befall him from using a prototype analytical engine.

‘Starting to wonder’ was incorrect. Inaho had long ago pondered and mauled over the concern, especially before and after each visit with Dr. Yagari. The doctor provided him pain killers that were gradually weakening to Inaho’s growing tolerance for the pills and surely the pain will not subside for the rest of his life. However pain is perhaps the least of his worries. It is still a miracle he was still alive and as independent and capable as he was to this day after a gunshot wound to the head.

But for how long will that last? Does it still last? Is what he sees now really reality or nothing more than a fleeting dream?

A shadow dashed past Inaho’s left and immediately, Inaho aimed and fired at the individual.

“ _Too slow. However--_ ” Inaho thought to himself as he heard his shot ricochet off the far distant cement wall.

Again the disturbing silence enveloped the floor. Inaho was a sitting duck where he was but his opponent had him perfectly cornered, considering his opponent easily ran around his location. He needed to wait for the opportunity. Surely this arrangement cannot continue as Inaho’s current position still rendered this struggle into a standstill; his opponent had to make a risky move and so far his opponent preferred to keep a distance.

The sound of something metallic had been dropped and bounced towards Inaho. Inaho waited another bounce or two as he tried to decipher what it was from the sound.

It was too late. The item rolled next to his left foot; it was a smoke bomb. Inaho looked away and rolled towards his right.

_**Boom!** _

Everything in Inaho’s sight was engulfed in smoke but he could hear and vaguely see his opponent closing in on him. His opponent was confident as his opponent was charging forward. Inaho knelt on one knee and aimed.

Overconfidence in itself was an opportunity. As the smoke cleared, his red eye met the gaze of cold, turquoise eyes.

Inaho’s heart had skipped. He was taken a bit by surprise to see the pair of turquoise eyes he swore he’d never see again along with the familiar face. However he slowly realized that the person before him was not Slaine Troyard, but possibly a relative. Looking more carefully, the person before him was too feminine in comparison to Slaine. She was thinner and her hair was more blond like sunlight than the moonlight. Furthermore, he could see the woman’s neck seemed scarred and there was no amulet adoring her neck -- rather a pin in the shape of a Kestrel.

The Slaine-lookalike frowned and casually returned her gun into her holster and turned around, showing her back at the brunette. She looked over her shoulder as she sighed, “So much hesitation in your motions… nothing like what the reports said.” Clearly, the Slaine-lookalike was disappointed.

Inaho stood up and returned his handgun to the holster hidden in his jacket.

“What did he mean to you? Clearly you’re not sold at the thought that Slaine Troyard is dead. Something has bugged and egged you enough to go on this extra limb, to take this risk.” The Slaine-lookalike questioned.

What was he to Inaho? A rival. A nemesis. Someone that kept him on his toes. Someone that kept surprising him…

He couldn’t find the words. If he could, it did not make logical or rational sense to him and that surely was not the safe way to proceed with this given situation.

Inaho had risked everything he could for Seylum when opposing Hakkinen not once but twice.

Even before then in Russia, the war costed him his left eye -- an eye the very man in question took.

A small smile escaped him as he could imagine what his sister would say if she knew his entire involvement with the ashen blond throughout the war and even at the end.

But.

There was something about the ashen blond. Something that did egg him on and take this risk. That something that intricately kept them tied by fate.

“The report of his death concluded too quickly.” Inaho shared while sidestepping the question the Slaine-lookalike asked.

“It could have been a covered assassination,” the Slaine-lookalike countered.

Inaho mentally stumbled as clearly the woman did not like how he avoided her question and now was testing him. Failing to answer her question had repercussions, especially with how he was not as she expected.

“The guards and security arrangements were entirely handled by me with the Empress’s approval. UFE could not infiltrate without me knowing,” Inaho reasoned.

“Even the admiral?” The Slaine-lookalike asked. Inaho noted she was smirking.

Inaho remained silent. She caught him red-handed and smugly smiled as she knew it was her victory. The Slaine-lookalike gestured to Inaho, offering her hand. “Now then Kaizuka Inaho. Are you willing to throw everything away for the sake of the future?”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> **A/N3** : Coincedental I swear regarding the chapter number and a particular episode of the original series... *cough* 
> 
> **A/N4** : Interesting information -- the kestrel is known for hovering around and waiting for the opportunity to acquire their prey. Symbolically, they're known for being accurate in their movement, patience and mental concentration.


	8. No news is good news.

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Back to the grind they say...

**Notes for the Chapter:**

>  **A/N** : Incoming updates >:3 as FFXIV: Heavensward is releasing its next big update on Tuesday so writing may be at a standstill (still be up for proofreading though!). I think the timing will be all right though as Part 3 is still in the air for me. Thanks so much for supporting me thus far and I hope you enjoy this chapter. o/
> 
> **A/N2** : Valkyrie is from Norse mythology and in Old Norse means "chooser of the slain." A Valkyrie decides who may live and may die in battle.

**T-Minus 299 days**

Calm exited the Canadian subway system and sighed. It was still cold in Canada and he could see his breath but it wasn’t long before his eyes caught sight of something else as his gaze wandered to a nearby phone booth. His eyes lightened and he found himself smiling like an idiot, waving his hand crazily.

A familiar woman was wrapped in a golden scarf, bundled in a blue winter coat and wore crimson gloves. She had waved from the booth to Calm while letting out a chuckle. The woman quickly turned back to the phone booth and in a hush voice replied, “I understand. We can proceed. Anyhow, need to go!”

She hung up the phone and turned to Calm who had made his way to the phone booth, while she clumsily left. Calm caught a hold of her hand as she stumbled. She blushed and smiled sheepishly.

“I didn’t think I’d find you here, Sharon,” Calm mumbled and looked away blushing.

Sharon Hakkinen let out a chuckle and said as they made their way to the parking lot, “Well… I thought you’d appreciate a little surprise…. and I noticed you make a point to return to Japan at this time of the year.”

The two had continued into the parking lot just outside the train station. It was rather less busy at this time and in turn, it made for a rather quiet return to Canada. Only their footsteps made any sound. A small layer of snow had accumulated on the roads and cars, a sign of earlier snow. Such details mattered little to the blond though; his attention was on Sharon. He brought his already tall jacket collar above his mouth and reached for her hand.

Sharon flinched slightly but returned the grip in Calm’s as he spoke, “Yeah. Every year my friends and I… visit a friend.”

They were nearing the far end of the parking lot.

“Oh? I’d imagine… they were happy to see you. Given our work and the urgency, getting time off even for two days is a stretch,” Sharon commented.

“Mhm. They were happy and-,” Calm went on before chuckling as they finally reached Sharon’s car.

Sharon had parked at the furthest spot possible from the train station. However Calm didn’t seem entirely surprised; if anything, he was not expecting anything less. Calm placed his backpack in the backseat after Sharon had long since unlocked the car and nestled herself into the driving seat.

“It still amazes me how you can pilot flawlessly but struggle driving a car, let alone a 4x4 pickup truck,” Calm said.

Sharon looked at him with narrow eyes and a slight pout before clearing her throat and starting to drive out of the parking lot; she tried to get Calm to continue, “As you were saying?”

“And I mentioned that next year, I’d like them to meet you,” Calm went on and grinned as he pecked a kiss on Sharon’s cheek.

The car swerved momentarily as Sharon jerked away in surprise and covered the cheek Calm had kissed.

“CALM! I’m driving! You know I can’t have any of that,” Sharon exclaimed, blushing.

Calm laughed and looked forward to the road. The snow was starting to pick up. His smiled weakened as he expected what Sharon was going to say next.

“Next year..?” Sharon started but fell silent.

In the corner of his eye, Calm could see Sharon’s eyes had gotten distant and not because of the drive. He had seen this reaction before. Making any plans into the future seemed to be something hard for Sharon to do. Calm couldn’t blame her though given what he had learned about her. However, Calm was determined not to give up; after all, he was not a man to renege on his promises.

“Yes, a year from now. Keep it in mind! We can revisit the idea in half a year,” Calm said.

“Half a year… from now…” Sharon mumbled.

Calm propped his arm on the car door and tried to salvage the conversation, “Something to look forward to. We’re almost done with the project and I can’t fathom us working on it for more than that.”

She was silent again and Calm felt himself becoming uneasy until he noticed where Sharon had driven him. He was perplexed as they were pulling into one of the security checkpoints. Calm prepared to speak but Sharon got the head start.

“Ah… about that… I have some things to tell you and more importantly, I need your help,” Sharon said.

***

Calm wept internally as he eyed the clock on the laptop’s taskbar. It had only been two hours since he returned to Canada and he was already working. He could have sworn it was longer considering how much snow had piled up at the hanger’s entrance since they arrived. Nonetheless he kept working away as the work wouldn’t do itself. Calm was crouched down and plinking away on a laptop; he was running a programming diagnosis for the project he was a member of. His moment of glee and romance was ever fleeting as shortly after finding his girlfriend waiting for him, Sharon brought up work. The pleasant drive had not been to the dormitory but instead to their workplace – one of the more isolated hangers of the American Branch. He sighed as he was nearing the end of his task for now he only had to wait until the program was done running their lines of code. In the meantime, Calm looked over to Sharon whose eyes were fully captivated by their handiwork. Calm was sure Sharon’s fixation with work wasn’t healthy but it was at these moments when Sharon seemed within reach to him.

The two had been working on the next generation of Kataphrakt, which they had agreed to designate as “Valkyrie.” The Valkyrie resembled the mass produced Kataphrakt trainers – the Sleipnir – with its basic framework and its current armaments. However it stood with the same intimidating figure the Martian Kataphrakts had and was further emphasized by how smooth the Valkyrie’s limbs were in comparison to the Terrans’ machinery. In all, the Valkyrie was a Kataphrakt built from the combination of Terran and Martian technology. Such work was primarily thanks to the efforts of the two – Calm, the mechanic of the Terran Hero and Sharon Hakkinen, an enthused scientist trying to make sense of Dr. Troyard’s work.

The computer beeped as it signaled the end of the diagnosis, which Calm read the results of the diagnostic, “All clear when I ran the program. Not feeling confident Sharon?”

“No… perhaps… luck has never been on my side, Calm,” Sharon said while still looking at the Kataphrakt, “and we have good news from the Admiral.”

“The- the Admiral?” Calm repeated in shock..

“I apologize. Grandfather I mean,” Sharon said, trying to pacify Calm with a poor attempt of correcting her earlier response.

Calm shook his head and leaned on the metal railing; he too began looking at the Kataphrakt and reassured, “My fault. It’s just… hard to hear about him so casually since we started--.”

Sharon let out a hum as she clasped her hands behind her back and playfully turned to Calm with a nostalgic smile.

“But I think you’ve gotten comfortable with this line of work, Calm,” Sharon pointed out, “Some time ago you were not so satisfied with this.”

Calm looked down and away from the Kataphrakt, mumbling, “For the most part… as you said back then, the most understanding we have of Aldnoah stems from the Kataphrakts… now we need to field test this. I can’t say bringing this out in the open won’t reopen old wounds, let alone not suggest rearmament on our side.”

“And that’s where the good news comes into play,” Sharon said – a train of thought that seemed to have almost been forgotten, “… grandfather managed to pull some strings and we can test this at the abandoned Moon Base.”

“That’s… not exactly good news Sharon,” Calm nervously chuckled.

 

 

 

**T-Minus: 250**

Far from Earth, a doomed moon was the site for a deadly game of cat and mouse. The catwalks that littered the surface of Phobos directed inward toward the vast, deep crater Stickney. The catwalks seemed to converge and multiply as one delved deeper into the Stickney crater; it was in the bowels of Phobos that the material of interest was located. On a catwalk nearing the edge of the Stickney crater, a group of astronauts were hastily making their way into a tunnel. Behind the astronauts, several guards were pursuing them from adjacent catwalks. The pursuers converged on the main route to the tunnel, following the path of the astronauts. Only briefly did the astronauts turn to their pursuers as the astronaut in the lead stopped at the tunnel’s entrance. The leading astronaut reached for one of the many dangling control panels and pressed a button before beckoning the group to resume their escape.

“INCOMING!”

Once inside the tunnel, the astronauts ran for the nearest ditch they could see. Gunfire rang out behind them but all sound was drowned out as an explosion violently shook the cavern walls. The smallest of the astronauts grunted at the tremor; she was barely keeping up and strangling behind the group. The astronauts’ pursuers had recovered as their muffled footsteps echoed in the cavern.

“Chief, what’s the remaining distance?” The small astronaut asked.

She grit her teeth as a bullet whizzed overhead, narrowly missing her.

“200 meters, M’Lady!” The leading astronaut “Chief” answered.

They continued pushing forward until they reached a fork in the caverns, where more astronauts awaited them. These astronauts were dressed differently, however, adorn with suits with far more grime and equipped with mining tools.

“Are they ready?” The Chief brusquely asked.

“Yes, sir! They’ve been placed.” One of the mining astronauts said and offered the detonator, which the running astronaut grabbed and immediately activated.

“Let’s go! 90 seconds until the meeting point is changed!”

Looking back hesitantly but out of curiosity, the small astronaut could see how close their pursuers were. It would have only been a matter of time; however, another series of explosions went off and shrouded the previous tunnels in darkness. An immense amount of rock now stood between the fleeting astronauts and their pursuers. The small astronaut took a breath to admire the debris lazily floating in the low gravity of Phobos before turning back and retreating to the group.

After another few hundred of meters, the group of astronauts stopped to take a breath as they reached the designated meeting point. It was a retired mining port, one of many. Some of the astronauts of the initial wave had staggered and fallen on all fours; the small astronaut was no exception. The adrenaline was starting to wear off and the fear of what had happened was starting to sink in. She subconsciously found her hand gripping at one of her legs and her face twisted in disgust but shook her head, as if she could shake off the feeling of disgust. The small astronaut looked towards their current location; she weakly smiled as parts of it reminded her of another place, another place she had once considered her home.

_“I wonder if this is how the Moon Base looks like now…”_ She thought.

The mining port resembled a combination of a docking bay or hanger for all sorts of cargo, including the Kataphrakts. Phobos was after all the primary provider of the ore used to build their Kataphrakts, the ore named Aeschite. However this port had become decrepit with disuse; dust had started to collect into the crevice where carts of the ore were stored and the very metallic panels where the group stood were covered in layers of it. Whenever their pursuers arrived here, it would be apparent how they had made their escape. Such was of little concern though; the port’s entrance and exit was what bothered the small astronaut. The port entrance was slowly opening and dust was being shaken on either side; one of the mining astronauts had started the finals steps for their escape. The small astronaut took a deep breath and closed her eyes. The memory of back then – back at the Moon Base played in her mind – and it felt like the present was nothing but a momentary daydream. He had voiced his final order across all channels and after leaving her in his trusted knight’s care, retreated back into the Moon Base. She was powerless then as the knight’s grip was too strong to escape as she was forced onto a shuttle, rendering her unable to join the retreating silhouette.

The leading astronaut “Chief” pulled out a trinket that resembled a pocket watch. He turned the knob a dial and a holographic screen appeared. The display simply said, “AUDIO FEED ONLY.” “We reached the meeting point as planned, Commander,” he reported.

“Good and the princess?” the Commander asked.

And now as she opened her eyes, the small astronaut was willingly leaving the port. She stood up and looked to the “Chief” sternly before looking back at the port opening.

“M’lady is-“ Chief had went before noticing a red Kataphrakt had arrived and knelt before them.

The red Kataphrakt offered its hand to the small astronaut, who walked aboard first. The other astronauts followed suit although the mining astronauts were hesitant at first. Once everyone was aboard the hand of the Herschel, it used its other hand to shield them and he took off.

“We’ll be back to the base shortly, M’lady,” the astronaut commented as the Herschel had left the vacant mining port, “so you can rest if-“

“I’m fine… I can handle this much,” Princess Lemrina interrupted.

She didn’t look at the astronaut and instead gazed at her legs, which she stretched before her. The princess grimaced as she knew she had bit off more than she could chew. Although the gravity of Phobos was only a fraction of 1G, her legs were still not accustomed to the strain she had put them through but she shook it off, convincing herself, _“I’m fine. I can handle this much. He had to deal with something worse than this… and I must finish what he had set out to do. I must show her; I am her shadow no longer.”_

 


	9. "When in [Vers], do as the [Martians] do."

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> "What is this peace worth fighting for?"

**Notes for the Chapter:**

>  **A/N:** Sorry for the delay on posting this, I originally intended to post this Monday (hence incoming updates on that A/N) but then I sprained my left wrist shortly after posting chapter eight and was also fighting multiple drafts (-_-). Thanks for sticking with me thus far :)

**T-Minus: 249 days**

The Aldnoah glow was prominent as it was what luminated the long corridors that led to a grand set of doors. Two handmaidens were present at either side and were clearly guards. Behind it laid the antechamber where the Empress and her escort would normally speak behind a podium to communicate with UFE from Vers. However the Empress and her escort Count Klancain stood beneath the podium and on the ground level. Before them, Count Barouchruz stood.

“I can’t help but feel like this serves another purpose Count Klancain. In some ways, I wonder if back then it would have mattered whose allegiance I had pledged to. Your cunningness reminds me of how that mangy cur transformed into a wolf – I refer to the late Lord Slaine, of course.” The cloaked count stated.

The Empress’s escort Count Klancain remained silent. His silence confirmed Count Barouchruz’s suspicions; this was a test of his loyalty to the Empress.

“You may hate your fellow man out of personal respite; however it is ill-nature to not acknowledge his achievements. Lord Slaine had performed a multitude of feats for our side of the war and for that I respected him. However I did not revere him, even if his last act spared the lives of my Clan and others involved. Princess Lemrina has not achieved any feats of her own and is no different than an idealist trying to rekindle a dying fire. If there is anything left to do in Lord Slaine’s name, then the best gamble is to do what he or she can under your wing, Your Highness, no matter the circumstances. Lord Slaine himself is an example of such perseverance.”

Count Barouchruz put down his cane and used his left arm in order to properly show respect. He then kneeled and formally bowed to the Empress, before once more facing and looking at her in the eye. He had to make it clear he had no desire to turn on the Empress, without a shed of doubt.

“Princess Lemrina’s intentions may be true but her approach will be her downfall; these are no longer times of force,” the cloaked count concluded. _“However Princess Lemrina is playing at the strengths of our people. We cannot be a nation without its people and we are a war-driven nation,”_ he thought to himself.

Count Klancain had closed his eyes during Count Barouchruz’s statement and nodded. Count Klancain reopened his eyes and smiled to the cloaked count, “Thank you Count Barouchruz. Your input for the upcoming meeting will be beneficial and greatly appreciated.”

“Yes. Count Mazuurek should be joining us shortly with some guests.” The Empress added.

Count Barouchruz stood with his cane in hand and a holographic screen popped near Count Barouchruz. He chuckled to himself as he answered the call, “Such impeccable timing. Speak of the devil.”

***

“I understand. Send me the coordinates and I’ll handle it in your steed,” Count Barouchruz responded through the holographic screen.

“Thank you, Count Barouchruz. I apologize for the inconvenience.” Count Mazuurek said, apologetically before the visual feed was disconnected.

The count then turned around to face a one-eyed brunette and his cloaked companion.

“Sorry to call you from your duties,” Inaho said with a blank face; his companion tried to hold back a chuckle.

“Think nothing of it Inaho-san, I surely owe you from the war. What assistance can I offer you?” Count Mazuurek inquired.

Inaho eyed his cloaked companion whose mischievous smile disappeared. Their reactions left the count perplexed until Inaho spoke. “There has been suspicion that the United Federation of Earth is after something on Mars.”

“Something?” The count repeated.

“Yes… something that could rekindle the war but in favor of Earth,” the cloaked individual answered.

“Why would the UFE be interested in such a thing? Do we not have peace?”

The cloaked individual chuckled and soon maniacally laughed for a moment before stopping herself. “They said during the war they fight for peace… but what is this peace worth fighting for? Surely, you’ve seen the failures in the Empress’s peace negotiations with the knights bound on Earth? Surely you’ve also had your share of encounters with said knights and still find them eager to fight?”

Count Mazuurek grimaced as the cloaked individual hit a sore spot; it may have been months since his encounter with Stornhelm but his final words still haunted him.

_“There is another that fights for the people of Vers.”_

“You bring a valid point… actually, Inaho-san I was suppose to escort some of your comrades to the Empress today regarding this matter,” Count Mazuurek said. “You see… almost four months ago, a catastrophe occurred.”

“A catastrophe? I have not heard or seen any reports of anything of that level--” the cloaked individual began.

Inaho concluded, “Because that information may renew civil unrest when the relationship between Vers and Earth is still volatile.”

The count nodded and continued, “Yes and furthermore, the catastrophe relates to a relic from the past… from the first Interplanetary War.”

Inaho and his companion remained silent as the count paused in his recollection. Before long the count had turned to the nearby window where he seemed to be looking for something in particular.

“Would it be related to Phobos? I’ve noticed there was an influx of research in place regarding Phobos possibly colliding with Mars in the distant future,” The cloaked individual inquired; she now had her arms crossed and leaned on the nearby wall.

“No, but close. In actuality, the catastrophe dealt with Deimos. Four months ago, the Empress’s sister defected from the Empire with her followers and disembarked to that moon… whereupon Count Klancain had given chase and whereupon both -- rebels and imperials alike bore witness to the moon glowing like a newborn star. It was glowing gold.” The count recollected and turned away from the window, now looking to his clasped hands and fumbling thumbs.

“Gold…” The cloaked individual mumbled as she bit her lower lip. She could recall her son’s glowing eyes and could feel her grip upon her left arm tightening.

Inaho had gripped his chin and inferred, “Aldnoah technology… in other words, Deimos is not necessarily just a moon, assuming it was originally a moon. Regardless, this would explain the near perfect orbit the moon exhibits. That also means that the moon would theoretically be comparable to a Kataphrakt.”

Count Mazuurek nodded and went on, “The full details of what the Kataphrakt Deimos could do have been lost since its deactivation by Emperor Gilzeria, the Empress’s father. However we had observed a phenomenon similar to the noodle effect.”

“Noodle Effect?” The cloaked individual reiterated in a tone suggesting confusion, perhaps thinking she had heard incorrectly.

“It’s an effect associated with black holes,” Inaho elaborated, “where those subjected to falling into a non-rotating black hole, are carried away into the center of the black hole. Effectively, anyone carried into the center of the black hole are crushed infinitely.”

“Yes… and we saw Princess Lemrina and her follows being sucked into Deimos.” Count Mazuurek finished.

“But you said you were about to go to a meeting with the Empress regarding this matter…” The cloaked individual recollected and stood up.

Inaho could see where this was going. “She’s still alive.”

***

In the abandoned mining port, a man adorning a UFE-issued astronaut suit was floating in the low gravity while looking through multiple holographic screens. Various perspectives of the tunnels which the rebels had used laid before him. The man sighed and waved his hand through the screens to turn them off. With his other hand, the man tried to retrieve something from his right back pocket but forgot his current attire. The man crumbled and used his momentum to land onto the metal platform before pushing himself up towards a docked Areion. As he floated towards the Kataphrakt, the man’s face was visible; he was Lieutenant Marito and still retained his typical stubble and brown hair.

“This was an inside job. None of the faces are visible from the feed; it is as if they knew where the cameras were. However the security camera still illustrate the fact the rebels are getting more serious,” Lieutenant Marito informed.

As the lieutenant reached the docked Areion, a long haired brunette could be seen and similarly had a holographic screen before her. Only one though and it seemed to be going through a different set of evidence. The evidence she was reviewing were of the footprints and other traces of how the rebels had escaped from this area.

The brunette sighed as her demeanor soured and said, “Their trail went cold here but there is a sign of a Kataphrakt momentarily docking here. They must have gotten on and headed off… If the Versian Imperial forces were stationed here, this could have been avoided.”

“Further proof that it was an inside job; the rebels had intel that this port was not in use,” Lieutenant Marito, who landed on the docked Kataphrakt.

“Our greatest fear has come true,” Yuki mumbled and at a loss, “this could potentially be the making of a coup…”

“Uh-huh.”

“But this conflict only involves directly Vers and the rebels… UFE shouldn’t necessarily partake in this,” Yuki commented.

“Orders are orders, Kaizuka. We are simply here to do just that and pray that our superiors know better,” The lieutenant said while playfully using Yuki’s head as a means to get leverage for jumping back onto another docked Kataphrakt. The other Kataphrakt was the lieutenant’s.

“Hey!” Yuki gripped at her superior who had jumped onto his Kataphrakt and entered the cockpit.

Yuki followed suit in entering her cockpit. Lt. Marito resumed speaking, which went from earshot to being heard through the Kataphrakt’s audio feed, “It’s time to head back. The Empress herself is expecting us.”

“How… kind of her,” Yuki found herself struggling to speak kindly about Her Highness.

Lt. Marito launched his Kataphrakt out of the port and proceeded towards the red planet in the distance. Yuki was trailed behind him but didn’t pay much heed to their descent onto Mars. The lieutenant had remained quiet to Yuki’s comment.

“… Starting sequence for Martian descent.”

The two had the procedure already down for descent as their three-man squad had been secretly deployed to the Vers Empire for some time now. After all, it had been eight months since they had arrived on Mars.

Once initiating the final steps of the landing sequence, all Yuki had left to do was enjoy the ride. She looked to her consoles overhead and with her right hand, reached for a piece of paper that she had fastened. The ride down to Mars was anything but enjoyable; the paper on the other hand, brought a smile to her face. It was an expired coupon for eggs and had a scribble of, “For when you return. –Nao”

Yuki chuckled as her little brother had mirrored her in regards to leaving a makeshift charm in their respective Kataphrakts. Her brother’s charm for her differed though; it was more… practical. Almost. She pointed out that the coupon would expire during her deployment – something she knew her brother would have obviously known. He had responded that, that was why he had given her a printed copy, and again reminded her that he could pull the coupon off his smartphone. Yuki obviously had not been amused for his elaboration on the latter but she knew her brother wasn’t the best in expressing his emotions. She knew what he had intended for this charm; it was a reminder of home and a beacon of hope to return there. Such things had not been conveyed easily during their last dinner together.

This would be the first deployment in which the two siblings were not both part of the military. This was what she had wanted earlier, during the Second Interplanetary War when Inaho had been grievously injured. During the war, she had not been successful in removing her brother from the battlefield. No matter how much she pled, she could not change Inaho’s mind and it had gone so far as to being assigned off the Deucalion. It was a worrisome experience to Yuki as she had joined the UFE for the sake of protecting Inaho like their parents had done so for her.

However, Yuki found herself at a loss. She couldn’t help feeling that no longer being part of the military was not what Inaho wanted or what he needed. Since his honorable discharge, Yuki could tell her brother was struggling to return to the life of a civilian. It was without a doubt a hard transition, especially after partaking in the war. _“No it wasn’t the war that made the transition hard… it was her, her final request to Nao-kun,”_ she thought to herself as she stopped tracing the coupon and resumed her posture to handle the Kataphrakt’s controls.

She took a deep breath and closed her eyes as she braced for impact; her Areion was going to contact the Martian surface. Landing never went as smooth as she would like on Mars.

Yuki had tried her best to support Inaho when he informed her of what he had been doing before his honorable discharge. Inaho had been supervising the imprisonment of the former Count Slaine Saazbaum Troyard, the man behind the escalation of the war and the man who had nearly killed her brother. The Empress had asked this of her brother.

Did the Empress have no heart? Wasn’t she taking advantage of her brother’s kindness? Yuki couldn’t help but feel her grip on the controls tighten in frustration. How was she going to face the Empress?

“Kaizuka.”

Yuki had grumbled as she finally got her bearings and proceeded toward the docking bay on Mars.

“Kaizuka,” Lt. Marito said again, “remember we are here on orders. Nothing more, nothing else.”

“Of course,” Yuki replied.

“Good that’s the only advice I can give you regarding this and,” Lt. Marito went before pausing for a moment, “uh… don’t get upset.”

“Huh? Wait… Don’t tell me you did it again!” Yuki exclaimed as she looked around the docking bay they arrived at.

The two had arrived at the slums of the Vers Empire; it was an area their contact had denoted as unsafe.

Once disembarking from their Kataphrakts, the two had met up on the catwalk, where Yuki grit her teeth and berated her superior.

Lt. Marito shielded himself from her playful punches as he pointed out,“Hey! This was the closest place to meet up with Areash.”

“Even so! Argh! Rayet!” Yuki yelled in frustration but sighed.

She turned around from her superior and started making her way down the catwalk. Lt. Marito followed her at first before walking ahead of her.

“Not so fast. Remember what happened last time—“

“And that is why I’m not pleased as to why we are here. Lt. Marito.”

The two exited the docking bay and were now on the main street of the slums. Before proceeding much further, the two looked around and Yuki removed her helmet whereas the lieutenant kept his on.

“Aren’t you feeling brave,” Lt. Marito snickered.

The two proceeded down the side of the dirt road and could feel several eyes watching their movement. Yuki gulped and tried her best to look forward, only sparing very few seconds to look on other side. She could feel the hostility in the gaze coming from their surroundings. She had also learned from their last time through here, any longer than a few seconds would be an act of provocation. Last time, the two had been the target of a bombardment of various projectiles, projectiles that were perhaps the closest thing to tomatoes and broken wine bottles that the Martians could toss at them.

Yuki eyed her superior and forced herself to sound confident when she was barely managing it herself, “We are human as well. We hurt too and just because we have the equipment, do not necessarily mean we are free from being hurt.”

“CONCEITED BITCH!” A yell went further down the makeshift sidewalk.

A rock had been tossed in her direction, which Lt. Marito caught although he too was prepared to act as a shield to Yuki.

Lt. Marito turned to her and grinned, “Guess I still have a knack for baseball, eh?”

“Lieutenant…” Yuki mumbled and smiled.

“Kaizuka Jr. would arrange something if I don’t see to it that you make it back in one piece. Christ!”

However her smile faded immediately as more projectiles were heading their way.

“Should we consider falling back and waiting at the docking bay?” Yuki asked as the two started to retreat backwards.

“What?”

They had been surrounded with raging civilians, who kept cursing them.

“YOU MURDERERS!”

“GO BACK TO EARTH YOU TERRANS!”

“YOU DON’T BELONG HERE!”

The lieutenant chuckled under his breath and barely Yuki could hear him, “How ironic as weren’t they adoring a Terran as their war leader for a time.”

Without warning, a loud repeating tapping noise could be heard and the crowd started to back away and their gaze going elsewhere. Whatever they had seen forced them to withdraw and even bow their heads. The uproar had fallen silent and the two could finally make sense what had happened; an Orbital Knight had convened.

“Enough. Enough! Go about your business,” the Orbital Knight had repeated.

As Lt. Marito and Yuki regained their bearings, they caught sight of Rayet Areash to their right and a few steps behind the Orbital Knight. Rayet was leaning on a building and had her arms in her hoodie’s pockets. Of the three, Rayet looked like a civilian but then again undercover work was her specialty.

“You have our thanks,” Lt. Marito started although he was cautious to say such things.

Lt. Marito was not familiar with this Orbital Knight before him. The Orbital Knight behind him adorned the crimson uniform all knights wore but the knight before him differed in a not quite comfortable way. The man’s hair was not as well kept as the other Orbital Knights made a key point to do and on top of his uniform, the man had a short black and gold cloak that was fixed in such a manner to hide his right side. The man had wavy light black hair that parted on the right and seemed to have grown out in the back.

The Orbital Knight brought up the cane he wielded with his left hand and dusted the bottom, sighing. He seemed to take his time to judge the condition of the cane before gazing back at Lt. Marito. His eyes looked at the man with contempt but soon smirked.

“You have Mazuurek to thank for that,” the knight went.

Yuki looked to Rayet who stopped leaning on the building.

“Where have you been Rayet! We had business to contend with on Phobos—“

Rayet disregarded what Yuki was saying and stated, “A piece of advice – stop flaunting the UFE logo around here. Besides, it seemed both of you were enough for the task.”

The Orbital Knight seemed impressed by Rayet’s response and couldn’t help but agree, “Indeed. Know your place, Terrans.”

“You—“ Lt. Marito started as he was ready to ring the arrogant knight before him but held back. Count Barouchruz could already foresee it would be a long ride back to the Palace.

***

Meanwhile, a lone Kataphrakt was drifting among the debris near the Moon base. Inside the KG-9 Valkyrie cockpit, Sharon’s eyes were hidden; she was looking at something in her lap. On her monitor, an audio feed was connected through the communication link.

“It is time. Ares wishes to see his son.” The voice from the audio feed said.

Sharon responded in a hollow voice, “I understand. They shall have a fearful reunion.”

Sharon’s eyes were covered by her fringe as the communication link disconnected. In her hands she held a silver amulet and mumbled. “A full assault on Mars… don’t worry… I won’t make the same mistake you did… so please, believe in hope once again.”

She chuckled as she felt her heart sink. She could remember what the admiral had told her before she had left for the Moon base, “I think he would like this arrangement better as we both have a chance.”

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> **A/N2:** I apologize for it being rather... fillery? but it's necessary q_q I swear...


	10. Memento Mori

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> "Remember that you can die."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

>  **A/N:** I'm alive, I swear! This past weekend got a new computer and friend came to town. ^(^_^)^ However in addition to that fun, I still manage to write this beforehand but was not satisfied with this... I still kind of not.
> 
> Thanks so much for the support and sticking with me! Next time :) I'll have a treat for sure (Thanksgiving soon here too!)! I pray you enjoy this chapter.

**T-Minus 248 days, 14:48**

"Sharon, how was the test run of the replica KG-9 Valkyrie? Smooth sailing, I hope?" Calm asked as he greeted the pilot.

Sharon had returned to the hanger on the Moon Base and met with the eager mechanic once the cockpit hatch opened. She nodded and smiled radiantly as Calm gave a small hug and rubbed his nose with hers.

"Practically like the one we built together on Earth," Sharon answered.

Sharon held his hand in both of hers, as if praying.

Calm chuckled and blushed, looking away. "G-glad to hear it. So perhaps a celebratory toast is in order? Eh?"

She released Calm's hand and once again looked to the mechanic. "Yes," to which the mechanic jumped and quickly turned down the walkway to retrieve something he had surely prepared long before.

Sharon sighed as she looked to the main room of operations overhead and could see that the higher ups of the facility had started to make the move. "And so it begins... the end of this fleeting dream." She mumbled and returned her gaze down the walkway where Calm grinned, obviously ignorant of what has been set in motion.

The alarms went off and Sharon found herself turning back to the KG-9 Valkyrie.

A voice boomed from the intercom with great urgency. "All pilots on deck, prepare to launch! Hypergate in 10!"

Sharon prepared to board once again but found her right arm tightly gripped by Calm; he had rushed back to her side.

"Wait. You don't need to do this. You're a scientist, not a pilot! So--" Calm struggled to talk her out of this.

Sharon remained quiet and closed her eyes. This has happened before but there was no loyal knight to hold this precious person back. This time she would have to do it. This very act was like an affirmation of again her desire to oppose fate.

 _"Oh how I would love to remain and continue to live in this fantasy of a normal life where this precious happiness can be nurtured and continue to grow. Perhaps even something synthetic can become natural,"_ she thought as she once again gripped Calm's hand.

Calm did not resist her grip on his hand as she removed it from her arm. She shook her head and with a heavy heart told him. "I must. On behalf of the Admiral, I am sworn to assist in any way I can."

Calm's grit his teeth and looked away. He stepped back from the hatch but still had his hand held by Sharon. This time he expressed his confusion on Sharon's continued grasp.

"Sharon--"

Sharon kissed the mechanic on the lips before pushing him away from the cockpit hatch as it closed between them. Sharon spoke but her voice was drowned out by the rushing assembly of pilots.

Calm was at a loss as he found himself speechless and frozen. The kiss was not a normal kiss. He knew what Sharon had said but he could not muster a word as Sharon's KG-9 Valkyrie launched before his very eyes.

Her lips read, _“Thank you for everything.”_

  
***

**14:52**

"It’s as we had feared..." Count Mazuurek commented when watching Princess Lemrina's public broadcast. The hidden princess had now revealed herself to the world and in her debut, proclaimed war upon the Versian Empire -- and effectively on her half-sister.

However before further discussion could be had, the double doors leading to the room were thrown open. The three immediately stood up from their seats and turned their attention to the vassal who had cleared rushed here.

"M-M'lord!" The vassal began before catching his breath. "The moon. Phobos! It's-it's been shattered!"

"What? But we were just--" Count Mazuurek started.

The cloaked individual had walked to the window and grimaced, "It’s not only Phobos. Deimos is also different."

"Deimos is resembling a supernova and it looks like the energy burst may have shattered Phobos..." Inaho hypothesized at first. He looked at the two moons more carefully and reassessed what he had said. "Or rather, the energy burst was aimed at Phobos."

“When the sons of war clash, only terror will befall those who witness it.” the cloaked individual muttered to herself.

"Your orders, Lord Mazuurek?" The vassal inquired while bowing.

The count looked over to the panel where he could see the visage of Count Klancain. "All Orbital Knights within Martian Space, evacuate all civilians towards the Palace at once." Count Klancain ordered.

"Would that do any good? At best we have a few hours before larger debris impacts Mars, but after that--" The cloaked individual pondered.

Count Mazuurek ordered his vassal to prepare the Sirenum and brusquely informed the cloaked individual, "Her Highness will erect the Aldnoah Barrier for the severe impacts but due to restraints, we must mitigate the damage to the Palace and minimize the area in which her Highness will have to cover."

"The Aldnoah Barrier... so that is how the Vers Empire has been addressing Solar Flares," Inaho realized.

The count smiled and then asked, "Shall I escort you to the palace for your protection?"

Inaho shook his head. "Not now. Do you have a communication link I can borrow?"

 

***

**15:37**

“K…”

Yuki knew this scenery. It was not here. It was not now. No. Yes. It was happening here too.

Before her very eyes, the sky was no longer the heavenly blue. The sky was black. The sky was red. The sky mirrored a portal of hell. It was hell on Earth. It was as if the gods above were angry. Embers fell from above and grew ever more bold, louder and bigger as they descended upon them.

“Kai…”

As chaos ensued all around, Yuki remained standing. She was at a loss of words. She was petrified in place. She was afraid but it did not sink in. Her legs did not buckle. She did not quiver in fear. Her voice didn’t ring out in panic. After all, Yuki had seen this before.

“ … Kaizuka…”

Slowly but surely, the catastrophe unfolding before the people of Vers began to sink. The shrieks, the screams, and the trembling shock of the earth rang out. The shoving, the pushing and the lack of direction and coordination unraveled itself all around.

Everything seemed so surreal still to Yuki. Everything seemed to happen in slow motion to her as if a previous memory was replaying before her. She felt like she stood where her younger self had but felt her hand abnormally cold. _“There should be something in its grasp,”_ she reasoned. Her heart had grown uneasy and fear began to slowly trickle into her very being.

“KAIZUKA!”

“Nao-kun!” Yuki felt her mind scream and she jumped; she awoke and had returned to reality.

Yuki breathed heavily and answered her communication link; Lt. Marito had been calling for her. “Roger. Kaizuka still in position… my unit has taken some damage but still operable.”

Her hearing was temporarily dulled as she had been near an explosion. Her ability to focus seemed affected as well but she pushed forward. She shrugged it off as her eyes focused on the charm fixated among her malfunctioning screens.

“Nao-kun…” She thought to herself and smiled while reaching for the charm.

“Phew… I thought you were a goner.” Lt. Marito commented, clearly relieved to hear from her.

Yuki maneuvered her Areion back up and surveyed her current position. A large crater was only half a kilometer from where she was. She almost bit the dust quite literally.

“Don’t forget I’m a survivor of Heavensfall. It’ll take more than this to take me out,” Yuki said in attempt to reassure her superior, “and the same goes for you, right my wasted superior?”

“Heh. That’s right.” Lt. Marito agreed and then returned to the matter at hand, “Rayet, what’s your status?”

The two had assisted Count Barouchruz with a risky plan while Rayet had assisted in the evacuation of the people. The risky plan had involved doing everything they could possibly do to help reduce the incoming debris; Mars had very little atmosphere to help aide in mitigating the damage. They had been improvising for at least the past hour and they knew well this would not end anytime soon and their ammunition would not hold out to the end. It was a plan of stalling the inevitable… at least until the Empress was fully prepared. The Empress had a plan, a means to shield the empire for a time but would require some time as the Aldnoah construct was more archaic than the others and had only been used to shield the planet from Solar Flares, a far more distant danger.

Rayet’s voice barely came through the communication link as the sound of falling rocks could be heard. “We’ve managed evacuating into the underground passageways as instructed but some paths are collapsing.”

“If we aren’t having enough trouble over our heads…” Lt. Marito remarked.

Suddenly, another voice rang through the communication link; it was somewhat blurred with static as clearly it was coming through from another channel. Yuki immediately adjusted her communication link and smiled. She knew that voice.

“This is Mustang-00. All UFE Agents, status report? Do you read?”

"Nao-kun! What are you doing here?!" Yuki exclaimed.

"We can discuss this later--" Inaho went before being caught off-guard. Another had found the channel he used.

"Roger Mustang-00... KG-9 Valkyrie Reporting.... Do you copy?" The voice asked.

Inaho asked. "Mustang-00 Copy. Who is this speaking?" Inaho questioned. He needed to know as he couldn't afford his whereabouts being known to the UFE.

"Sharon Hakkinen. Upon transit from the Hypergate, I was separated from the other reinforcements from the Moonbase. The others have not responded."

"I see. Understood, meet at the rendezvous point..." Inaho went on before disconnecting the communication link.

The cloaked individual voiced, "Hakkinen."

"She must be related to the Admiral," Count Mazuurek inferred.

“The enemy of my enemy may not be my friend, but he can still be useful.” Inaho said, recalling a similar situation in the past.

The fact that it greatly resembled to back then somewhat troubled him. The similarity weighed on his mind. A part of him regretted not taking the one he considered "Bat" in but at the same time, it was pointless to dwell on the past, what was done is done. At the time he had determined it was the best course of action. This case presently may or may not be just the same. Right now the Admiral clearly was being suspicious and Inaho was not in the ideal position to take him on, even with Kestrel Troyard's familiarity with the man. After all, Kestrel was also outplayed by the man in question.

"If I remember correctly... the Areion is KG-8 and this... Sharon Hakkinen said KG-9?" Count Mazuurek pondered as they started moving to his Landing Castle's docking bay.

"When I last encountered Eelis, he was talking about merging UFE's current technology with Aldnoah technology. I would assume the KG-9 Valkyrie is the result, which is rather quick considering it was only a few months ago that I had met him," the cloaked individual informed.

"I would estimate they have been working on this for at least a year considering a friend of mine is on board." Inaho added.

Once at the docking bay, Count Mazuurek turned to the two and he asked, "I understand that the rendezvous point is at one of the passageways to the palace so I assume you'd want to be dropped off there? Just want to make sure I'm understanding your intention."

Inaho nodded and explained, "The admiral had considered killing Her Highness during the war--"

"If that is the case, then that further supports what we had considered Eelis's intention for this madness," the cloaked individual, Kestrel Troyard confirmed.

 

***

**15:43**

As the Sirenum dropped off Inaho and Kestrel at the rendezvous point, the two noticed Lt. Marito and another individual were prying open Yuki's cockpit door; the door mechanism seemed to have been damaged.

"Phew, I won't lie... that time I thought I would be stuck in there," Yuki commented as she hopped out.

"Kaizuka please," Lt. Marito groaned as he leaned on Yuki's Areion. He was still prone to some of his PTSD.

"Sorry," as she turned and clasped her hands together as a means to further apologize. She then faced her brother, who she pouted at and moved her hands to her waist, "Nao-kun! Explain yourself! You are supposed to be on Earth!"

"The Deucalion reported that they were arriving shortly. Kaizuka Junior here may have just pulled some strings to arrive here ahead to gather information," Lt. Marito suggested.

Inaho remained silent and then looked to the individual who was the last to approach the group. He recognized the individual as the same Sharon Calm had mentioned and had a photograph of. The woman nodded her head nervously as a sign of respect.

"Kaizuka Inaho... it's a pleasure to meet your acquaintance. I've heard stories from Calm about your achievements," Sharon spoke and then smiled, "although most of which also entailed the fact you wrecked your Sleipnir beyond recognition."

"He offered to fix it as good as new," Inaho said to which Sharon chuckled but soon stopped as Inaho inquired, "What were your orders from the Moon base? I had only been informed about assisting in the evacuation and defense."

Sharon answered, "Similarly. As the Admiral's representative however, I was to report to the Empress and see if there was any other tasks needed to be addressed."

"I see. We shall accompany you then as intel is still sparse," Inaho went and again Sharon bowed her head.

"Thank you. Speaking about intel, do we have any information regarding the current status of the evacuation?" Sharon asked while facing Yuki and Lt. Marito.

Lt. Marito crossed his arms when informing the three, "It's been some time since I last heard from Rayet but I'd guess it's due to the report of the rebels being sighted in the tunnels. I haven't heard any gunshots from this current entrance into the tunnels... that is, at least not yet."

"One moment," Sharon went and headed onto her Kataphrakt.

The Kataphrakt before Inaho was an abnormally pristine white – surely still a prototype of some sort – but had the designation KG-9 on the shoulder; this must have been the KG-9 Valkyrie. He couldn’t help but see the resemblance it had to a Martian Kataphrakt, particularly the Tharsis.

Inaho's attention returned to its pilot, who returned to them with a netbook. She showed her screen where it displayed a topographic map of the tunnels. "Looks structurally sound for the time being and I'm getting heat readings a few kilometers inside."

"Any way we can tell if they're hostiles?" Lt. Marito asked.

"Sorry... I haven't really considered that functionality. This was originally intended as an underground mapping tool," Sharon apologized.

Yuki shook her head. "No, this is perfect as honestly the Empress didn't necessarily explain how we would know which tunnels would reach the Palace... of course our details didn't originally entail us going into the tunnels."

Inaho nodded in agreement to his sister's statement and before long, the group found themselves making their way into the tunnel with the cloaked individual in the lead. Clearly, Yuki had walked at the same speed as Inaho and whispered. "So who is the person you brought with you?"

"I'm a veteran from the first interplanetary war. My experience and expertise were believed to be valuable and offset Kaizuka's handicap," Kestrel answered, clearly having eavesdropped and overheard Yuki's question.

"I see..." Yuki said with some sense of suspicion.

_**Crumble. Crumble.** _

"What's that?" Yuki asked. "Think it could have been the aftershock of a nearby impact?"

"Tsk! Incoming!" Lt. Marito had looked up and could see the very ceiling was shaking. He exclaimed. "Tsk. Take cover!"

The tunnel shook and after a few moments, the sound of coughing filled the air. As the dust began to clear, Yuki had covered Inaho, who looked to the ceiling and could see multiple cracks starting to fracture furthermore.

“This place won’t last for long…” Inaho reasoned as he got a hold of his pistol; he could hear a massive number of hastened footsteps coming down the corridor.

“Sir! I heard voices from this way.” One of the voices said.

“Gripes… rebels.” Lt. Marito whispered as he leaned to the wall and waited for the incoming enemy threat, gun in hand.

“We need to move. They’re upon us!” Kestrel whispered loudly and tried to find a defensive position.

It was too late though. A warning shot was fired by the tallest of the rebels.

“Don’t move!” The tall rebel ordered.

Sharon fell on one knee and looked to the man addressing them. A voice called out in her mind.

_“Harklight!”_

She gritted her teeth to hold back the thought from being vocalized. Her heart began feeling heavy, heavy with nostalgia and a strong sense of longing and relief. Her eyes began to water.

“You’re outnumbered. Unarm yourselves and let us pass. We have refugees.” The rebel spoke.

“Bullshit!” Lt. Marito yelled, “Why would you rescue people when causing this entire catastrophe?”

“We didn’t!” Another rebel spoke as the voice was feminine.

The ground trembled immensely where they stood. A cave in was occurring at their very location; more accurately, the cave in was going to occur where the rebels stood. The tallest of the rebels seemed to have caught on and was directing their entourage back into the tunnel winced they came. However as he beckoned their side, he had not accounted for the pink-haired rebel that was among them. The pink-haired rebel had not fully grasped the situation.

Sharon felt her headache worsen and she staggered for a moment. A voice echoed in her mind as the ceiling was starting to give way between the rebels and the group. Her body moved on her own.

_“Don’t forget. The princess you need to protect is the one before you.”_

“Oi! Sharon! What are you doing? Come back here!” Lt. Marito exclaimed.

The ceiling finally gave way. The debris came down. The crumbling and shifting of rocks filled the air both in sound and dust. It seemed the rocks would not stop tumbling down and on both sides, coughing could be heard.

When everything seemed to settle, the group opened their eyes and checked one another. They had been lucky and spared of the chaos that was apparent before them. The rebels were surely not in the same situation. The rock pile before them barricaded the group from proceeding forward. Lt. Marito grimaced at the sight as he had seen Sharon dashing to where the barricade was

“Sharon? You all right?" Lt. Marito inquired.

Lt.Marito headed towards the barricade and tried to move some of the rocks but found the barricade rather structurally sound.

“Not looking likely to make a way through here without possibly making another collapse.” Lt. Marito reasoned and then turned to Yuki, who was trying to get a hold of Sharon through their communication link.

A link finally established but only provided an audio feed. Sharon was still coughing and sounded to be in some pain.

“Sharon, what’s your status?” Kestrel inquired.

“Not. A lot of time… You need to head right. A few more kilometers… and you should reach the palace,” Sharon responded.

“What about you Sharon? Did you make it to the other side in one piece?” Yuki asked.

Sharon had another coughing fit and reassured him, “Y… yes. I’ll meet you there.”

 

***

On the other side of the barricade, the tallest of the rebels had crouched over to Sharon, who had closed the communication link and was now coughing.

“You seem very sure we aren’t going to finish the deed, UFE,” the tall man said.

Sharon struggled and managed to somewhat sit up, leaning on her elbows. Her lower half was underneath some aspects of the rubble.

“Harklight. Maia. Can we retrieve her from underneath this rubble?” The pink-haired rebel had asked.

The tall man must have been named Harklight as he looked to the pink-haired rebel and nodded. Maia, another of the rebels in their entourage stepped forward and started freeing Sharon.

“She may be one of us as she is familiar with the underground passageways… not many have access to that knowledge, let alone know of them off-hand,” The pink-haired rebel inferred.

Once freed from the rocks, Sharon stumbled to her feet and bowed to the pink-haired rebel, who narrowed her eyes to her.

“And furthermore realize who she is speaking to… who on earth are you?” The pink-haired rebel asked.

Sharon smiled softly the pink-haired rebel. She had remained silent to which Maia pulled out a pistol.

“You will answer Her Highness, at once!” Maia demanded.

Sharon looked to Maia and the others. Her smiled seemed to have softened more before she cleared her throat.

“This isn’t the time to interrogate me. As we have just witnessed, this place is not safe. We need to evacuate towards the palace.” Sharon pointed towards the direction she had instructed her separated companions were surely heading. She looked back at the rebels and their entourage, “you’re not the only ones. You too have gathered refugees and need I remind you that this route is not going to last much longer.”

Harklight was visibly frustrated from what the UFE Agent had said but couldn’t help, agreeing that she was right. He once again resumed giving orders to those under his command and some of the entourage returned towards the tunnel they had come by. Before following them, Harklight looked over to Sharon who again bowed. Her very bow further unnerved him as it was a Versian bow.

“Worry not, Sir Harklight. I will make sure Her Highness is safe,” Sharon reassured him.

As the man walked away and left the princess in her care, Sharon grimaced when she tapped the tip of her right foot on the ground and could tell it was not fine. Simultaneously to her tapping her foot, she could see her communication module had a notification. Sharon’s expression darkened as though she didn’t read the intricate details, she knew what it was about.

“I highly doubted you would escape the cave in unscathed,” the princess commented as she too noticed what Sharon had figured out about her condition.

Sharon smiled again and tried to reassure as she forced herself to stand on it, “This is nothing. Now then, we should start making our way down the corridor. I am stunned as well to see the Empress’s half-sister walking on her own. The last time I had seen you, you were still restricted to a wheelchair.”

“Where...” Princess Lemrina questioned and looked at the UFE Agent suspiciously.

While the two headed down the corridor, the footsteps of her entourage could be heard only a few feet away.

Sharon answered while clearly further ahead of the princess, “The dark side of the moon.”

 

***

Like Sharon had said, a few kilometers and the four arrived at a corridor that began to resemble corridors surely belonging to the palace. However something was not right. Bodies littered either side and behind the door, the barrel of an AK-47 squarely pointed at them.

"Don't move or I'll shoot," a familiar voice demanded.

"Rayet!" Yuki cried.

The magenta-haired girl peeked out. "Kaizuka? Lieutenant?"

"What happened here?" Kestrel asked and promptly the Rayet aimed her weapon at the cloaked woman.

"She's with us, Rayet. What's going on here?" Yuki informed and repeated the question.

"A brigade of UFE invaded the palace. Count Klancain ordered me to remain here to ensure no more would enter while he handled those that had already broken into the defense." Rayet explained.

"UFE... invaded the palace?" Lt. Marito asked.

"It's just as we feared," Kestrel commented and looked to Inaho who readied his pistol and charged forward.

Further down the corridor as Inaho suspected, Inaho found his way to the throne room where a compromised count and a weakened empress could be found. Both sides had casualties yet two UFE soldiers, surely one of a commanding position remained and had the empress at gunpoint. Count Klancain was at a loss as the other UFE soldier had him pinned to the ground.

Inaho aimed his weapon at the UFE soldier gunning for the empress. The UFE soldier demanded while retaining his aim on the Empress, "Drop your weapon or I'll shoot!"

The UFE soldiers turned to Inaho and looked at him perplexed. "What are you doing here and alive? Hakkinen! What's the meaning of this?"

For a moment Inaho was confused but then heard a weapon shift behind him and in the corner of his peripheral vision, he could see Sharon holding a gun to the back of his head.

"Kaizuka Inaho. Ironic that the tables have turned, isn’t it?" Sharon asked.

"..."

The empress coughed and struggled to sit up to which the UFE commander ordered her, "Stand down or I'll shoot."

Empress Asseylum clasped her hands and a golden wave of energy pulsated from her. As it passed through the room, Inaho could feel the gun lower behind his head. Inaho quickly went to disable Sharon but found himself pinned and staring at a pair of golden eyes and a face he never thought he'd see again...

_“Slaine Troyard.”_

_**Bang!** _

 

_**  
**_

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> **A/N2:** Truth be told, I've been looking forward to writing this last bit of this arc but I fear it was rather... anti-climatic?
> 
>  **A/N3:** Thus, the mystery concludes. Maybe I'll include an extended A/N for all the hints as to how that worked out? There were a few details I was vague on, e.g. the description of Sharon in Chapter Eight was a throwback to Slaine Troyard's appearance as a child in the ending credits. I think at the very least I'll share the awesome fanart that inspired me for that craziness... as far Calm, uhhh. *hides*


	11. Charon

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> “My dear, where’s a ray of hope? ~ 0.vers

**Notes for the Chapter:**

>  **Charon:** The ferryman of recently departed souls across the river Styx... assuming they pay the toll or may the departed wander the shores of Styx for a hundred years.
> 
>  **A/N:** I apologize for the delay on this. There were some matters on this chapter I debated until finally I reached my wit's end and voila. Thanks so much for reading and sticking with me. Also thanks to my beta for watching my back on this.

**T-Minus: 247 days**

A gunshot rang. A body fell.

The past. The present. The future. It all blends.

 _"This time,"_ he thought to himself as his hand fell weak to his side; the gun in his hand had been fired. It was a head shot and the "princess" was not the target. He had saved her this time.

An uncontrollable rage, an insatiable need had filled him and thanks to those uncontrollable emotions, he was able to do this one act. If he had done this back then, would everything had ended earlier? Would that peace had not so easily been trampled?

It didn't matter, he didn't even know if what he saw before him was real or a dream. Everything felt far. The only thing "real" to him was that burning desire to be of use to the one that saved his life. He knew he failed at one point but it escaped him now how he had done so. Even if this act was late, would this suffice?

The golden light, his savior looked to the fallen body and then to him in horror, tears in her eyes. It didn't matter; she was alive. That's all that mattered.

“I knew we shouldn’t have brought you along! DIE!” The remaining UFE soldier cried out as he went to shoot Slaine.

_**Bang! Bang!** _

Shots were fired. Another body had fallen.

 _“Another headshot...”_ Inaho commented as he could see his former nemesis was no longer paying him full attention.

Inaho observed that Slaine was different from when they were in Russia. The shots had no hesitation, no remorse. Furthermore, Slaine seemed to not have felt the gunshot that successfully pierced his upper left shoulder.

Deeming Inaho no longer a threat, Slaine stood up and barely limped to the Empress and knelt by her side. He evaluated her condition and grimaced, biting his lower lip. She would not last and the only solution was unlikely to be acted upon. She who accepted her fate and he who sought to deny her fate, to save her. He could not help but try. She knew what had to be done.

"Your Highness. If it weren't for you, I would not be alive now... all this time I had tried to be of service to you... and I know given how the last war ended, this peace we had envisioned did not fully manifest as we had hoped." Slaine said as he bowed his head to the Empress who had fallen onto her back.

"I can no longer offer anything but this life you've saved... however if you continue maintaining this barrier, the Aldnoah will take you like the Old Civilization. Please Hime." He continued as he locked eyes with the Empress.

The empress shook her head and weakly reached for Slaine's cheek. "I... Asseylum... vers Allusia... live for my people... my dearest friend... I'm glad to see you have returned... but please live for your own sake. Thank.. Thank you... for this wonderful dream." She paused to catch her ragged breath to which Slaine grasped the Empress’s hand. He tried to reassure her to not worry, to implicitly tell her to reconsider.

"Now my people need me..." She looked to her escort who had grit his teeth and looked away. He could neither refute nor discourage her for what she had decided. "Klancain... protect everyone... please..." She looked to her sister and Inaho. Asseylum could feel her sense of feeling blurring. "Lemrina… Inaho-san… forgive me… for asking… for the impossible…"

Slaine begged. "Please… reconsider! You don't have to do this!"

Asseylum looked to her childhood friend and smiled. She removed her hand from Slaine’s grasp and let her hand fall to the young man's neck. There she could grasp a metallic collar that was sticky with blood and was letting out a spark of electricity. The pulse of the Aldnoah Barrier had critically damaged the apparatus. Her gaze had changed to the collar. She need not ask what it was. Asseylum closed her eyes. She was beginning to glow gold and everything was starting to blur for her. However, she held onto her humanity a little longer.

Inaho had fulfilled her request. He had saved Slaine Troyard but he could not free him from the chains of misery. After all, she was the source of his misery just as he saw her as the source of light. Only she could free him from his chains and thus with her last bit of strength of Aldnoah invested in her, Asseylum rendered the collar useless and like her, broke it into golden particles that dissipated into the air.

"Slaine... please... be free..." were her final words as she disappeared. Slaine's eyes widened as the hand he once held disappeared into particles and the restraint he once bore shattered. The mental miasma cleared but he was at a loss. He knew that which had occurred. He knew not what happened. However everything went black..

Try as he might, perhaps like back then, now was no different. Slaine was powerless to prevent it.

His savior. His life. She was no more. There were no miracles.

"Typical of fate... of course he would win." Slaine mumbled before falling over, the pain from the wound around his neck was too much for him to retain consciousness.

 

 

 

**T-Minus 534d/247d (continued)**

Slaine laid on the ground, his back to the wall. His wrists and ankles were long worn through as the ropes wrapped about them were dyed a dried up red.

"I would imagine," the menacing voice said from the darkness, "if you could speak, you would say this is illegal according to UFE regulations."

There was a pause. Slaine remained quiet and unmoved. Blood dripped from his mouth and onto the ground. His fringe hid his eyes.

The admiral revealed himself to the lone light of the unknown warehouse the two were located. They were en route to return to HQ but some preparation were needed before they could disembark.

"But then again you're a dead man and only a question of morality comes to play... to which both of us are in agreement, aren't we Troyard?"

Slaine remained quiet.

The admiral was not pleased with his continued silence and grabbed Slaine by the hair to make him look him in the eye. Slaine's eyes were empty and not gold. His facial features were covered in bruises and cuts. Admiral Hakkinen treated him like a ragged doll, if not a discarded punching bag. Slaine was not surprised; this was like a continuation of his time on Mars.

"Heh," Admiral Hakkinen went before letting Slaine's head once again droop to the side. "Old news isn't it? As long as the ends justify the means... but perhaps a new question of morality could give you an old spark of life."

No change in Slaine's behavior.

"I'll even wager the outcome of this coming conflict. So how about it?" Admiral Hakkinen asked.

Again, the ashen blond remained unchanged but the admiral smiled ever so evilly as he could tell something about the blond was different than before. Slaine was listening this time, in one way or another.

"Is peace worth the life of your most important person in your life?" The Admiral asked.

Slaine finally moved. A small smile had formed and a sardonic chuckle escaped his lips.

The admiral assumed Slaine had understood and was interested in the bargain. No. Slaine found the entire ordeal laughable. Peace is priceless and every time someone considered war for the sake of peace, it involved bloodshed. He wanted no more part of that. He had once waged war for the Empress and now even whatever fruits that effort bore were rotting and burning away before his very eyes, no by his very hands, against his very will.

No more. He wanted no more part of this.

 _“The Empress is next,”_ he predicted by what the admiral had in mind. The admiral had tried over and over again to brainwash and recondition him to think the Martians were evil. Slaine didn't need to be. He already knew the dark side of Mars but he also knew the UFE was evil. After all he had sworn back then and at least for this very instant, he would not allow anyone to exploit the Empress whether they are Martian or Terran... himself included now.

The admiral had become frustrated and said he would once more make him silent. Slaine couldn’t care less as he knew he made a poor mistake to keep chuckling and not explain himself to the admiral. It didn't matter. Nothing mattered anymore.

No matter how many times he asked where there was a ray of hope, he heard no answers. Wherever he had looked for hope, there was none to be had.

"Please believe in hope again," a voice chanted in his mind.

_**Kick!** _

_**Kick!** _

"Please... believe in hope again," the voice chanted again in his mind.

_**Kick!** _

Slaine opened his eyes as the pain from his gut had become too unbearable for him to keep his eyes closed. He wouldn’t be able to stay conscious for much longer.

No... perhaps he was already unconscious and whatever he was seeing now was some messed up conjuration his mind made. As Slaine looked forward, he could see the admiral had walked back into the darkness of the room but also something that made his eyes widened. Before him stood a child... no it was him... it was him back before he went under Cruhteo's care. Or was it? The child did not have the carefree expression he would imagine he had back then, ignorant and unaware of how perilous and rough the life on Mars would be without the Empress's protection.

This child seemed aware of everything that had occurred, if not more. A forlorn expression adorned his face but he retained his turquoise eyes at Slaine, determined and hoping desperately.

It was the child who had spoke earlier. "Please believe in hope again."

The admiral returned and the man swung through the child. The child had motioned to repeat what he had said before but was interrupted. The swing that went through the child made the child dissipate into particles. Slaine had seen this before… somewhere… somewhere recently.

Everything started to blur and fade to black.

_“Where's a ray of hope?”_

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> **A/N2:** Slaine + Charon = > Sharon. This is how I got his disguise's name. 
> 
> **A/N3:** I would also like to apologize for the promised surprise that should have been included with this chapter but due to the gravity of the events that transpired, I thought that would be rather ill of me to do so. /grovel Please forgive me.
> 
>  **A/N4:** My last apology is for taking Empress Asseylum vers Allusia's life. This was my primary concern for this chapter. In the end of that internal debate, I could not justify her surviving a fifth assassination attempt and deep down went with my view of Asseylum as a character. I viewed Asseylum as character whose (authentic) death was necessary to further drive the character development of the cast and also the plot. Is it a cop out for a character's death to be that catalyst? I'd like to say it depends on personal preference and although I dislike cop outs, I think this may be one situation I have to let it run its course. 
> 
> Thanks again for reading and commenting! Happy belated Thanksgiving and good luck on the mad sales from the U.S. o/


	12. To Inherit the Stars

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> To live without regrets is a commendable goal  
> But to continue living while bearing your sins, is a heavier burden.  
> Do you dare hope, my child?
> 
> Be wary, my child; for hope is the worst of evils.  
> It prolongs the torment of men.  
> Hope dies last.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

>  **A/N:** I apologize for the delay on this chapter. Writer's block and multiple drafts can be quite the multifaceted dilemma. Also I was having a growing fear of the loss of quality but as they say YOLO - you only live once!.. hehe... heh... *still worried about it*
> 
> Thanks ahead of time for reading!

 

**T-Minus 247d (continued/end)**

_“Asseylum…”_ Princess Lemrina gasped as she stopped at the entrance into the throne room.

Princess Lemrina and her entourage had arrived to the sight of the empress dissipating into golden particles. Speechless. Shock. Her breath was caught in her throat as she felt her legs buckle beneath her. The half-sister she had always envied, was now truly dead and not in a manner she had foreseen. Princess Lemrina never had thought of killing her sister; whatever the path of war Princess Lemrina had envisioned often ended with her half-sister at the end of a peaceful negotiation resulting in her abdication.

The shock too dissipated as Princess Lemrina’s wits came about her but as her eyes caught sight of a collapsing ashen blond, she felt her hands tremble and went to cover her mouth.

 _“This isn’t the time. This isn’t the time. I must--”_ Princess Lemrina tried to convince herself and forced herself to focus. She formed fists with her hands and surveyed the area.

Not only are countless civilians killed among the halls of the palace but there were still casualties on both sides. UFE soldiers littered the throne room and several of the Imperial Forces could also be seen at the back walls. To add, the center of the room was an agglomeration of both sides. A brunette had come to the ashen blond’s aid and was accompanied by a few UFE soldiers. Only one of them seemed actively aiming a weapon at the rebels while the other two seem at a loss and looked to the Empress’s escort, whose gaze Princess Lemrina finally met.

Her heart felt a cold chill roll down her spine. She couldn’t afford being weak here however, and grit her teeth as she regained her footing. Princess Lemrina looked to Sir Harklight and the others of her entourage. All had been speechless at the sight of their long lost and forsaken count. Clearly it had not dawned to them that there was a bigger issue -- multiple even -- and time was not on their side, especially with Empress Asseylum’s passing.

“You must leave now.” Klancain finally said and disrupted the growing silence and awkwardness.

“What?” Lt. Marito uttered in confusion and motioned to point at the corpses of the UFE soldiers that had obviously recently been shot. “Do you not understand that the security of this place, let alone Martian space has been compromised? UFE cannot be trusted and with the Empress’s death--”

“With her death, Princess Lemrina’s safety is more critical,” Klancain reasoned, “she is the last of the bloodline that can activate Aldnoah and without Aldnoah, we have little hope to regain what ground we have lost to UFE.”

“Deimos.” Inaho mumbled as he carried the ashen blond on his back.

“Nao-kun, they know Deimos is the base for the rebels and leading them is--” Yuki started.

“It’s the safest place. Even the Orbital Knights and Imperial Forces didn’t dare to investigate after the first encounter,” Kestrel added.

“And what makes you think we will allow you to come with us? Are you not a part of the UFE?” Sir Harklight countered. “Count Klancain, we shall keep the princess safe as you wish--”

“You will take them with you as they understand how UFE operates and because of other two critical reasons, Sir Harklight. You’re being hasty. Do you not see your lord is with them?” Count Klancain pointed out. “Furthermore, Kaizuka Inaho is the one tied to the strongest of the UFE vessels -- the Deucalion. He would surely make an excellent hostage.”

“You wouldn’t--” Yuki exclaimed and reached for her pistol but stop as Count Klancain had already pulled out his gun and held her at gunpoint.

“Please. I wish to honor her last order so do not resist.” Count Klancain begged.

Yuki grimaced and removed her hand from her holster. Lt. Marito placed his hand on the barrel of Rayet’s AK-47, which she lowered, much to both of their distaste. On the other hand, Inaho stood up while hoisting Slaine on his back and finally Inaho looked to the empress’s escort. The escort took a deep breath and smiled as he could see Sir Harklight too was submitting.

“Sir Harklight. Kaizuka Inaho. I entrust the future of the Vers Empire to you both.” Count Klancain said as he looked to the two people he perceived the most capable in fulfilling the one task he could not do. The empress had left him with another role.

Count Klancain’s gaze turned to the man Kaizuka Inaho carried and the count couldn't help but feel a knot in his throat. His smile became more strained when beginning to recollect what had just happened. There must have been a reason the empress had continued going to such lengths for her childhood friend.

“Please protect both of them.” Count Klancain added, a bit to Sir Harklight's surprise which then turned into resignation when coming to terms in following the count’s order.

“We will find a way to resolve this,” Princess Lemrina stated.

Count Klancain’s smile momentarily seemed less strained but he then made his way to the throne’s armrest. Upon contact with the armrest, a passageway towards the underground tunnels manifested between the tapestries decorating the walls behind the throne. As the entrance finally settled, the both groups of the UFE and the rebels made their way towards the passageway. Sir Harklight stopped before the Empress’s escort and bowed.

With the last of them going through the passageway, Count Klancain closed the passageway and turned before the throne. He waved his left arm as he commanded the assembling remaining soldiers stationed at the palace.

“I need a status report at once!” He demanded.

“Yes sir!”

Count Klancain returned to the pedestal and started to contact the Orbital Knights currently in Martian space.

 _“Outside these very walls, everyone is convinced the rebels had caused this and no one knows the UFE had assassinated the Empress. It is the perfect setup for a full-on assault on the rebels by the UFE and effectively eliminate the bloodline for the Aldnoah activation rights. A shrewd opponent you are, Admiral Hakkinen. However it is my turn.”_ Count Klancain thought as immediately, Count Mazuurek and Count Barouchruz answered his beckon.

“What is your command, M’lord?” Count Barouchruz inquired.

***

Once inside the secret passageway, the two factions made their way back to the familiar underground tunnels they had used before. Not a word was exchanged between the two until they reached a wide, circular room of the underground tunnels; it was surely one of the few rooms where the various tunnels linked. They decided to take a break for an hour as they determine their bearings. Kaizuka Inaho had rested Slaine Troyard against the wall before once again standing and surveying the many tunnels. The cloaked individual that accompanied had kneeled and tended to Slaine. Notably, the cloaked individual noticed that Slaine had a bullet-shaped hole on his left shoulder but there was no sign of a wound.

“This doesn’t make sense,” the cloaked individual mumbled.

“He was shot during the crossfire but it seems the gunshot wound was healed. My best guess is Seylum may have incidentally cured it or something else is at works.” Inaho responded as his eye met his sister’s. His sister and their two colleagues approached them.

“We need to contact the Deucalion.” Yuki said, cutting to the chase.

Inaho remained quiet much to his sister’s displeasure. She was starting to get the feeling there was something her brother was not telling her -- something that Lt. Marito seemed to have long figured out and did not share as the man sighed.

“They don’t know Kaizuka Junior is here,” Lt. Marito inferred as he crossed his arms and also looked at Inaho. Lt. Marito had been helpful in covering Inaho’s mysterious appearance, considering the circumstances but the current situation had changed.

Rayet sat down on the nearest rubble and assessed her weapon and ammo. She commented while looking down the barrel. “I was wondering why Eddelrittuo’s behavior had been suspicious.”

Yuki had covered her head with a hand in disbelief.

 

 

 

**T-Minus 240d**

_**Creak!** _

Dust shook from the doorway as someone tried to open the door from the other side.

“God. Forsaken. Door. You’d think Martians would have solved this problem!” Kirsten complained as she finally managed to get the door to open with a bent steel rod.

Upon entering the room, she first looked at a holographic screen, which displayed the map of the Deimos facility. Her current location beeped and she swiped through to confirm her coordinates.

“This… must be it…” Kirsten mumbled; she finally looked around and immediately she grimaced and bit her lower lip. She didn’t need to check the map; she was familiar with the room’s spread.

This room belonged to her husband, Dr. Troyard.

Dust had long gathered over the numerous scientific apparati on the workbench. Kirsten walked over and traced her hand over them, leaving a trail with her finger on the dust. Clearly, the room had been untouched for a very long time. After passing one side of the room, Kirsten looked to the other and sighed. This was the last place she wanted to be but there was a reason why she had exhumed this tomb of a room.

Three days ago, they had arrived on Deimos and although they had successfully made it to their destination, there was no sense of solace for any of them. Traveling from the palace to here had been rough, and neither the rebels nor the UFE agents were pleased with this arrangement and exchanges were strained. They only had interacted out of necessity. To make matters even worse was the secret that unveiled itself upon their arrival.

***

 

**T-Minus 243d**

Upon arriving on Deimos, Kirsten had not expected to hear his voice again.

 _**"Du vil angre dette!"** _  
_**"Du vil angre dette!"** _  
_**"Du vil angre dette!"** _

Over and over her husband’s voice played through the intercoms and echoed throughout the base. The tall rebel -- Sir Harklight she believed was how Count Klancain had addressed him -- had immediately ordered for the intercom system to be temporarily shut down upon entry.

“Like we said before, we were not the ones to perpetrate Phobos’ fall,” Princess Lemrina said.

“If it wasn’t you, then who? Who else could command an Aldnoah-powered satellite of this magnitude?” Lt. Marito exclaimed.

The princess had walked passed the UFE agents but stopped to turn. She smirked and concisely explained, “I too wonder who… as Deimos does not abide by the Imperial Family’s.”

“You mean--” Yuki started.

“That’s right. Her Highness does not have control of this Kataphrakt.” Sir Harklight reworded and sternly looked at the UFE agents.

***

 

Kirsten sighed once more and proceeded to look at the other side of the abandoned makeshift laboratory office. Unlike the previous side of the room, something caught her eye. It was a lab notebook belonging to Dr. Troyard. She was in disbelief to think her husband would be this careless. Then again… she doubted the man would know death was before him even if death stared at him in the face.

 _“He probably didn’t see it coming,”_ Kirsten thought as she blew the remaining dust off the notebook and started to skim the entries. There were no records in UFE regarding her husband beyond the date they had went their separate ways and there was practically no information from what access she had at Count Mazureek’s landcastle. The only detail there was regarding the scientist was that he had passed on several years before, leaving his son under the care of Count Cruhteo prior to his adoption into the Saazbaum clan.

Page after page, there was nothing but scientific jargon. Oddly enough though she felt her eyes water and a choke building in her throat. A smile had crept on her face as nostalgia washed over her. She had done this before, before they had married, during their time back at the academy and were fools in love. Back then there were no heavy thoughts on her mind and only her bafflement as to what lunacy her love did. Back then he would laugh and respond he too would think the same of the blueprints and engineering schematics she lunged around from the aviation department.

Kirsten let the book rest on the dusty desk as she wiped her eyes. Dust surely got into her eyes and was clouding her vision. This was no time for her to be sentimental. Something the UFE wanted was here. Something the Royal Family wanted to hide was here. She needed to know what that something was, that something Admiral Hakkinen was so sure her son knew and could retrieve.

_**Swoosh.** _

After a moment, Kirsten noticed the page had turned when she rested the book. The lab notebook must have been left open at this particular page for a really long time.

In a writing so familiar to her, Kirsten’s eyes widened and she found her hands trembling but slowly reaching to the notebook.

“Over and over again, I hear her voice. I hear you scream and question me. ‘What legacy are you leaving for our son?’ ‘What are you planning to leave behind?’”

Kirsten was speechless. This was uncustomary for her husband. He would never leave something so personal in a lab notebook. She looked to the date of the entry. He surely dated and signed it. He knew he was writing this in his lab notebook.

She began again and her breath trembled. To think they would finally ‘meet’ in this form.

_Over and over again, I hear her voice. I hear you scream and question me._

_‘What legacy are you leaving for our son?’_

_‘What are you planning to leave behind?’_

_Back then I thought you were belittling me. I thought you were thinking I was working myself to death and abandoning our family. Thinking back now, it must have looked like that and I fully accept any blame on that. For my dear, I believe what I ~~was~~ am doing is for the betterment of mankind, Martian and Terran. If I hadn’t started then, there was little hope for our son, for all of our children to see a future without war._

_If only you had met the man of such a past… but then again, every woman and man was serving their country, their planet for the sake of peace and their loved ones. You were out. So was he._

_He went by the name of Saazbaum and the war had cost him dearly. Not monetary, have you. His other half, his love did not escape the Moonfall. His loyalty to the Royal Family was shaken. He no longer could blindly follow his ruler and no longer turn a blind eye to the flaws of their social system. Perhaps he was delirious from his wounds… Perhaps he was heartbroken from his loss… but I must tell you my love, he reminded me of you for how shrewd he was._

_If I was as skilled as he was in your craft, surely I would have followed suit. I would have gone down that path of condemnation as Saazbaum swore to himself, with me as his witness, that he would see to it that the Royal Family would pay for what they have done. Too romantic for you, my Kestrel?_

_~~If only~~ I am only gifted in my understanding of chemistry and thus, I can only contribute in the scientific community. Surely I believed I could understand the mechanism behind powering Aldnoah. “I can and will understand it,” I had thought back then. “I must hurry. I cannot relent.”_

_“You fool,”_ Kirsten thought as she noted a gap in the entry.

_I still fail to answer your question, my Kestrel and I feel I only add more bitter feelings to the surname we share. I can only hope back on Earth you’ve found someone or something to bring you happiness. You deserve it. You were always too good for me._

_I can still remember you beaming when you had changed your name to mine. You were certain I’d become a renown scientist of my own right, considering how the Nature wanted to publish my research in their latest issue._

_I should have known better. I should have trusted you. I should have believed in you._

_You were my other half. You were my love. You were my wife._

_Truly my dear, I hope you are happier where you are. Surely you believe we abandoned you by now. I would not blame you. I would accept the blame for I had doubted you. I had thought you reported me to the UFE for collaborating with the Martians and working on Martian technology._

_I should have known better but after all this time, I have reached a conclusion. I finally have an answer to your questions._

_I know now that death is at my door. I have finished my work and they see no need for me. I will leave our son completely vulnerable on an alien world and my work in their hands to be hidden away._

_As always, you were right my dear. Always, you knew what was best for me, for our son, for our family and I stubbornly did not listen. Now I will pay the price and unfortunately, our son as well._

_That is my only regret._

_No. I cannot regret for his sake. If I were to do so, I would be trying to cover my tracks. I’ve done enough of that as is with my work. I could not even risk the chance of UFE getting their hands on my research._

_Thus, my dear Kestrel. My legacy I leave behind is already within his hands. His fate may already be sealed and much like his failure of a father, he may follow suit. I can only hope the princess and fate may have more mercy, more leniency for the fact his father did not prepare him for this harsh world._

_The Emperor beckons me. Death awaits me and there is no escape but like our ancestors, our descendants can finish where we left off._

_I hope. I believe in our son and in the children of both worlds that they will pave the way to a future without war -- one with coexistence._

_I hope the legacy I leave behind for our family is not as destructive as they perceive it._

_It is hope._

Kirsten rested the notebook and covered her face with her left hand.

“Hope was evil too, probably the worst of them all… you fool,” Kirsten commented in a more hoarse voice.

She had wept for her husband now as she could not before. Kirsten had held back when she had first stumbled upon the transmission of Dr. Troyard’s last moments. It was the same transmission that somehow played throughout the intercom system of the facility. It was the same transmission where she learned the coordinates of this room where it had been recorded.

Kirsten closed the notebook and turned to the last part of the room she had not looked -- the door leading to another. She was more familiar with this part of the room though. Kirsten had seen this part from the transmission.

She walked over and swallowed hard, she began to recite what her husband had said. Dr. Troyard had found himself being backed into this very door.

 **"Joten tama on mita olet paattanyt, teidan korkeutenne. Olet unohtanut unelmiesi."**  
(So this is what you have decided, Your Highness. You have forgotten your dream.)

Kirsten paused. She chuckled to herself as she could figure out what her husband had truly meant. Her husband was provoking the Emperor. Dr. Troyard kept speaking in other tongues, flaunting the culture of Earth.

 **"Killing mig vil kun forsinke det uundgaelige."**  
(Killing me will only delay the inevitable.)

Inching forward, ever so slowly to the door Kirsten reenacted that transmission but stopped a few steps before the door.

 **“Du vil angre dette!”**  
(You will regret this!)

“Du vil angre dette…,” Kirsten repeated to herself. _“That was not to the Emperor. That was more to himself,”_ Kirsten thought sadly and continued towards the door.

 **“Du ensam inte kan ha denna makt!"**  
(You alone cannot yield this power!)

_**Voosh!** _

The door before her opened and Kirsten found herself looking into the Aldnoah reactor of the very facility.

“Shouldn’t you be elsewhere,” a voice said from behind her. It belonged to Kaizuka Yuki -- a particular brunette’s sister.

Kirsten perked up and immediately turned to face Kaizuka Yuki. “I find that rather presumptuous of you to say Officer Kaizuka Yuki.” She countered as she turned to face the older Kaizuka sibling. Kirsten cautiously and politely smiled.

It was only recently that Kirsten revealed her real identity to both the rebels and UFE agents as there were complications regarding the idea of the UFE agents contacting the Deucalion. Kaizuka Yuki did not take it well that her younger brother had traveled to Mars while alluding both the UFE and Vers Empire. Such an act was furthermore supported and driven by Kirsten’s acquisition of Inaho’s involvement -- to which Kaizuka Inaho had accredited it to his own promise with the late Empress. Thankfully the issue -- primarily involving Yuki and herself -- was temporarily held off as the two factions were still making their way to Deimos.

Yuki remained quiet but Kirsten could tell she remained at the doorway into the room. She finally spoke, “I had just assumed you would want to be there when he wakes up.”

Kirsten’s eyes widened initially before she looked away with castaway eyes and biting her lower lip.

“Mrs. Troyard...” Yuki went and proceeded into the room.

Kirsten stood up abruptly and rebutted. “You know nothing about parenting!” Shortly after her outburst, she internally griped to herself as being referred to her last name had immediately riled her up.

“You..!” Yuki grumbled. Kirsten looked up to find the woman standing before her and fists shaking on either side. With her right hand, Yuki slapped Kirsten Troyard, who was at first surprised but accepted it. “Parenting has nothing to do with family! Nao-kun and I lost our parents in Heavensfall but we are all that we have when the smoke clears. Isn’t that the same for you?! “

Kirsten felt herself relent as her posture weakened. She had taken a step back into the console. Kaizuka was right. She knew that this was not where she should be. She knew and wanted to be by her son’s side however did she have the right? Could she face the inner beasts both her son and herself hold? He will ask why she abandoned him and why she did not come sooner. She had no answer that would console either of them. Kirsten knew she was a failure of a mother. He will surely push her away for the crimes he had ‘committed’ and what could she do to prove otherwise that she was more concerned with his well-being.

“Why do you hesitate?” Yuki had paused in her ramble. The younger woman had looked away but Kirsten could see… tears in her eyes. “Nao-kun told me you’ve been looking for your son all this time… years… and such distance… Family’s all we have left after the war is over. I nearly… I nearly lost Nao-kun… he was…”

Yuki looked to her hands that still trembled but now open and palm up. She was recollecting that dark day in Russia. The last of her family in her arms, within her reach but surely-- no she had prayed, she hoped back then that would not be the case.

“I--” Kirsten started; she wanted to apologize on behalf of her son and also herself for involving Inaho. She remembered the file in which she had learned about Kaizuka Inaho. It was no secret to Kirsten what had caused such a decorated and prized soldier in the UFE to be so easily hidden away after the war was over. Her son may have not taken Kaizuka Inaho’s life but instead his potential livelihood. From a soldier’s perspective that was the greater loss; however for Kaizuka Yuki, that was clearly not the case.

Kirsten’s voice stopped as she was appalled and rendered speechless. Kaizuka Yuki was no child. None of the people she had accompanied here were but they were far too young to carry that expression, the expression of knowing the weight of war. Yuki looked to Kirsten with eyes that silently the told her, she should not hesitate; she should go and seize the opportunity in her reach to reunite with her son.

“I could have lost my little brother that day but I was lucky… well kind of,” Yuki soon chuckled and covered her face with one of her hands. “That silly Nao-kun went right back into the fray after that… all for the sake of the princess. Every day I tried to discourage him to no avail. At first I ran but then… I realized.” Yuki’s momentarily joking nature slowly sank as she became more sullen. Thinking how a broken family was so close to reunite but still, somehow so far away and disjointed. “Any day could be the last so please… go. Go not for your sake but for his. Otherwise… you’ll regret this.”

Kirsten sighed and smiled, truthfully and thankfully to Yuki. “Thank you Kaizuka.” Slowly but surely Kirsten regained her composure and made her way to her son’s room, a room Kirsten had been hesitant to walk into.

Yuki was right. There was no point in hesitating. Kirsten could think over and over again. She may think of potential solutions. She may not reach any conclusions. In the end though, none of it would matter. Kirsten would never know what would have been the solution or what would happen if she did not act, if she did not go to her son. Time may not have been kind to either of them. They had lost many opportunities, many things and much more than she cared to remember. What can be done now though…

She would make time be her ally; the time would be now.

Kirsten had finally managed the courage to walk to her son’s bedside. She sat on the bed and brushed his fringe lightly with the back of her fingers.

“Slaine,” she whispered while continuing to brush his fringe lightly with the back of fingers.

He had not waken from his slumber since that day. Was it the mind control?

Her eyes watered as she could see her son had acquired another scar since their last encounter. She presumed it was where the collar was. An intricate pattern was engraved on his skin and wrapped around his slender neck.

“Slaine,” she again chimed in a little louder voice. _“Please wake up. Please.”_

She stifled a sob that inched its way up her throat. Kirsten refused to crumble once again. Her son was alive and within her reach. It would only be a matter of time. No it was--

“Slaine,” she once more said and held her breath as she sat up a bit.

The ashen blond’s eyes started to flutter open. At first they seemed unable to focus and his brow furrowed but soon his turquoise eyes turned to her.

Her breath shivered as her tears finally fell. She gripped her son’s hand tightly and brought to her to her cheek and then her forehead.

“Thank goodness. Thank goodness.” Kirsten repeated. Relief washed over her.

Slaine squeezed her hand although weakly. She looked to her son who also had a tear escape his left eye.

Kirsten wept and kissed her son's hand. Her journey had ended. She had reached what she believed was heaven on earth. For everything that had happened… if it was all for this moment, then it was worth it she believed.

Slaine mumbled in a barely audible voice. It was no louder than a whisper.

“M… Mom…”

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> **A/N2:** I apologize for the potential butchering of using other languages in this chapter. Guilty as charged for using Google Translate to make the particular lines. QQ
> 
>  **A/N3:** The surprise is failing to upload here. I've been wanting to avoid imgur linking...
> 
> Happy Winter Holidays!


	13. "Save the Queen"

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> "You too reached the same conclusion."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

>  **A/N:** Happy Belated Winter Holidays and New Year's. Also, Happy Birthday to you, Slaine Troyard. May you find happiness even in the little things. 
> 
> **A/N2:** QQ Sorry for the delay on the update. Thanks so much for folks sticking with me on this!

**_Part III/ To Wish Upon a Shooting Star_  
**

 

**T-Minus 242d**

_“How do you make up 15 years?”_

_“What would be the first thing to say to your son if you were to ever see him? Your husband?”_

There were countless thoughts of questions, of answers she had once considered and found herself in constant debacles.

Now that the moment had arrived, Kirsten was at a loss. She couldn’t help but endlessly weep and cling to that hand. Constantly, she reassured herself that it was warm. Constantly, she chanted her son’s name and said how thankful she was.

“Mom… Please… that… hurts…”

Kirsten’s eyes abruptly opened and with her free hand, she wiped her tears and apologized profusely. She loosened her grasp but did not let go of her son’s hand. Slaine’s fingers still weakly grasped her hand. She weakly smiled when looking at their hands before seeing Slaine wasn’t looking at her. Kirsten followed her son’s gaze and noticed a one-eyed brunette was catching his breath at the door.

“Kaizuka…” Slaine mumbled and his expression seemed to have soured.

_“Are you planning to meet him out of retribution?” Inaho had asked one time the two were refueling Kirsten’s biplane._

_“Retribution?”_

_“Yes. Slaine Troyard murdered his adoptive father. You may share the same fate if you were to reunite with him.”_

_Kirsten finished refueling and started her way back into the cockpit. She smirked as she responded, “He won’t.”_

_“You say that with certainty.”_

_“He had two chances. He purposely failed the first and thwarted the second.”_

Inaho had looked to Slaine before looking back at Kirsten who he nodded to. “I’ll fetch the medic.”

“R-right.” Kirsten stuttered while getting up for a moment. She should have immediately notified the medic but then returned to sitting down when realizing Slaine still held her hand. “Sorry. I-”

Slaine shook his head and weakly smiled to his mother; his gaze was no longer at the door. “To see you… just this once… even if it’s a dream… it’s enough.”

_“A dream?”_ Kirsten was slightly perplexed at Slaine’s response. She tried to reassure him. “It’s not just once Slaine. I’m here. I’m not going anywhere.”

Slaine chuckled but apologized. Kirsten noted Slaine’s grip was still rather weak considering how his voice seemed to have gained some vitality. “I apologize… this could just all be… a trick… I’m probably… still…”

Kirsten waited a moment for her son to continue but he seems to have fallen silent.

“Slaine?”

She noticed again her son’s gaze was not at her; his gaze had fallen to the burn scar around her neck and ran up underneath her chin and left cheek. With her free hand she reached for the scar and tried to reassure her son, much like she had when they had first met that day.

“This is… nothing, Slaine. Nothing but a flesh wound.”

Nervousness she couldn’t exactly understand where it came from, was eating at her. There was no reason for this feeling because of the wound. There was no shame to be had with this scar. The scar reminded her of her son that still cherished her after all this time, after all that has occurred.

“Sorry Mom. I’m sorry. I’m. Sorry. So… Sorry...”

Kirsten looked to her son and felt her heart tie into a knot. It hurt. It ached. Her face became pained as her son’s hand trembled in hers. His turquoise eyes were watery as one by one, he shed tears as he apologized repeatedly, over and over again.

There were no 15 years to make up. There were lost opportunities. Many of them -- none of which could be recovered. No way to turn back time. No way to make up for what was lost.

She wanted to say “it’s all right,” “it’s okay,” “everything's fine,” yet they both knew how far from the truth such was. Something awful had occurred and even if her son was apologizing for what he had done during the war, nothing could give him solace. He did not seek forgiveness for he did not see himself deserving of such forgiveness. He deemed it appropriate for whatever spite, for whatever misgiving that would befall him entirely deserving on his end. He deemed himself unforgivable.

Kirsten bit her lower lip as she felt her own tears falling once more. She too wanted to apologize. Her failure as a mother. Her failure as a wife. Her failure for not providing a normal life for her son. The list could go on; she wanted to apologize for many things, countless things. But she did not want to ask for forgiveness as well. She was undeserving for forgiveness. She was unforgivable.

Slowly but surely, it dawned to her how little that moment of happiness was. It was as if that happiness itself only fit between their grasping hands. So small. So fragile. So easily crumbled.

No. It was recoverable. It was persevering.

Kirsten pulled Slaine up to sit up with the grasped hand before freeing her hand. She wrapped her arms around Slaine. “This isn’t a dream Slaine. I’m here because you saved me.”

She could tell Slaine was startled as he froze in her hug.

Two sets of footsteps echoed down the nearby corridor. One of which she could identify as Inaho; the other must have been the medic.

“Thank you Slaine. Thank you for saving me.”

Kirsten released Slaine from her hug and smiled warmly to her son. Her son now seemed to be the one at a loss. He had grasped his shirt as he wept. Anguish still filled his expression but slowly, trickling was relief pouring over him.

***

**T-Minus 238d**

“S-sorry.”

Slaine stuttered and mumbled as he fumbled to return the fallen chess pieces to their rightful places. Inaho observed the ashen blond’s hands tremble and as he could expect, the chess pieces again fell. From there, Inaho retrieve the pieces and placed them back.

Again Slaine apologized while retreating his trembling hands upon themselves but maintaining eye contact on the chessboard. Once finished, Inaho looked to the ashen blond who again resumed the game. Inaho could tell that Slaine was having issues moving his hands steadily. However Inaho presumed it was a side effect from the mind control; this was not what was making Inaho uneasy.

When the two were in the prison, Slaine barely participated or engaged in their chess games. Slaine was earnestly playing against Inaho this time, even with his temporary physical handicap. Additionally, it was clear Slaine was not really looking at Inaho whenever the board would not have his attention; even then the state of the chess board did not keep Slaine’s attention for long either.

“Is there something the matter?” Inaho asked.

Slaine momentarily looked to Inaho and then to something behind him before returning his attention to the chess board.

There was a pause before Slaine answered. “... Nothing. Nothing at all, Kaizuka.”

“Nothing is always something, Bat.” Inaho said as he made his move. Slaine remained silent and unmoved, still paying full attention to their game.

Something was behind Inaho that was causing Slaine to not wholefully pay attention; he was sure there was no one behind him however.

Slaine chuckled as he mumbled, “So… you too reached the same conclusion...”

Inaho looked to Slaine with a raised eyebrow. Slaine only looked back with a bitter bemused expression before looking back at the board. “It’s a stalemate, Orange.”

The brunette looked to the board and pinched his chin. “You still have your queen.”

“A chance at victory but not a guarantee. Losing the queen would render this pointless.”

Inaho inferred Slaine was still partial to the queen, reminiscing its similarity to the late empress. However, Inaho shared the same conclusion of their chess game.

“Only a chance but still a possibility. If we are to end it here, then it would be you conceding.” Inaho commented.

Slaine did not respond much to Inaho’s expectation and as he turned to look at Slaine, Inaho could see Slaine had completely moved his gaze from him to whatever was behind Inaho. To Slaine, the phantom resembling his childhood self stood at the foot of the bed and retained its forlorn expression. However it did not speak and continued to stare at him, expecting something Slaine fathomed.

“Kaizuka Junior,” a voice said from outside the door.

Slaine’s attention had turned to the voice and it was Lt. Marito. Inaho stood up from his seat and finally faced his former teacher, who seemed to be more alert towards Slaine than Inaho. A servant had walked behind Lt. Marito and seemed to have come for Inaho as well.

“... Kaizuka Inaho. Her Highness and Sir Hark Light have summoned you.” The servant said after a bow, which seemed to make Lt. Marito’s eyebrow twitch.

“I understand.” Inaho said and then nodded to Lt. Marito; Inaho assumed this was also why Lt. Marito had come by.

Inaho turned to Slaine as the servant walked into the room; the servant must have been further assigned to keep Slaine under watch or company.

“Thank you for the game, Kaizuka.” Slaine said with a smile and wave.

Again, Inaho nodded but immediately afterward walked out of the room. Inaho’s hands had formed into fists and he felt his typical straight face faltering. He was puzzled. It was deja vu to him to walk out of the room from Slaine. Before, Inaho had saved Slaine as the late Empress Asseylum had requested from him and left Slaine in the glass room, weeping after informing Slaine of her request. Now… there was… uneasiness. Furthermore, Slaine had smiled at him without any sign of resentment.

“To think I’d see the day Kaizuka Junior is stumped…” Lt. Marito commented with a snicker.

Inaho sighed and reframed from conversing with Lt. Marito as the two arrived to the room, which Sir Hark Light had purposed as the command center. Kestrel, Princess Lemrina, Sir Hark Light, some of their commanders, Rayet and Yuki were inside. A projection of Martian space covered the floor.

“It can’t be helped. We can’t entirely grasp what the mind control had done to my son,” Kestrel added. She no longer hid her face and had her arms crossed while looking at the projection.

The two walked into the room and completed the assembled circle to look at the Martian space projection. Inaho could tell Kestrel was neither pleased nor entirely bitter of that observation. Never before had the Aldnoah Technology been used in such a manner.

“However we do not have any time to spare. Hakkinen has something up his sleeve.” Kestrel continued and looked to Sir Hark Light, who brought out a holographic screen.

Sir Hark Light played a recording, which he explained, “Count Klancain had sent this through an encrypted channel. Essentially, we have two days before we are looking at an assault by the UFE with…” Sir Hark Light faced Inaho who could already surmise what the man was about to say. “The Deucalion leading the charge.”

“That isn’t the worst part though.” Rayet chimed in. She stepped forward and manipulated the recording to a particular part.

Count Klancain’s expression had turned grim. “The admiral seems to have gotten word that the rebels -- you -- will be firing Deimos in three days time. In the late Empress’s memory, you would do no such thing, right Princess Lemrina?”

The recording stopped and the UFE agents found themselves looking to the princess whose calm composure seemed unaffected by the implicit accusation. Her voice hinted otherwise.

“As you already learned upon arriving, I do not have the ability to manipulate this Kataphrakt,” Princess Lemrina said with a slight bite in her tone. It was clear the remaining heir to the Aldnoah Activation rights was on edge considering the state of the Vers Empire with UFE so close to home now and the fact, she was currently perfectly framed as the perpetrator of Phobos’ fall.

“Meaning we need to figure out who is the real pilot to this… Kataphrakt in the next 24 hours or--” Lt. Marito went before Kestrel interjected.

“Admiral Hakkinen wins.” Kestrel said while biting her lower lip. She had yet to fully determine what Admiral Hakkinen was after and given the recording, Deimos did not sound like what he was after and instead, something the admiral somehow already controlled -- something even the Royal Family did not.

***

“Lord Slaine, would you like something to eat? Anything in particular?” A servant asked.

Slaine slowly blinked, grasping that the once silent servant had spoken. He turned to the servant but found his gaze trail back to what stood at the foot of his bed. It was the phantom from before.

“Anything will do,” Slaine and the phantom said at the same time.

“Right away sir,” The servant responded and bowed before excusing herself.

Slaine looked at the phantom, who still retained a forlorn expression.

“I know,” Slaine told himself and in turn , the phantom dissipated once more.

Slaine removed the blanket and with some struggle, managed to put the shoes near his bed. The cold floor sent a fury of pain up Slaine’s spine; it was as if his feet were asleep. Regardless, Slaine was thankful for the sensation for it helped him to once again claim control of his body. He knew full well that he was not physically ill in any manner; he was aware that although he was not mentally aware that he had been doing tasks under Admiral Hakkinen.

What those tasks were, however, mattered little to Slaine. Something else took precedence. Slaine peeked down the hall and rested his left forearm against the wall, leaning most of his weight, as he started moving.

_“I'll even wager the outcome of this coming conflict.”_

Admiral Hakkinen’s bet kept coming to Slaine’s mind. As much as Slaine felt it did not matter what he did, Slaine couldn’t help but try to make a better assessment of what could be done, especially considering the position Admiral Hakkinen had left him in.

It was within Admiral Hakkinen’s calculations for Slaine to have been placed on Deimos, the stronghold of the rebels and inadvertently locate the missing Kaizuka Inaho. If there was a gamble for the admiral, it was a matter of whether or not Slaine would have found a way to remove the mind control because even if it was removed, the admiral -- as much as Slaine wished he did not know -- knew very well what Slaine would do.

As Slaine had presumed, the rebels’ main commanders and Kaizuka were elsewhere and getting to his destination was easy. Only he could hold himself back from reaching it but he was use to working through pain. If anything, pain was the one sensation he could find comfort right now.

For before him was the peculiar silver monolith surrounded by the familiar golden glow of Aldnoah engines composing the walls. Slaine had reached the position the admiral had wanted him in and Slaine could verify it as the familiar growing glow of Aldnoah made itself known around his irises.

***

Inaho massaged his left temple with his thumb while covering his eyepatch with his fingers. It was a futile attempt to hide the truth from his sister but the habit had long been engrained. He had gotten a headache ever since they had arrived on Deimos and Inaho had held back on using his painkillers. As his sister and the other UFE agents learned, Inaho had arrived without the aid of the UFE and thus, any medication he had gotten from Dr. Yagarai had to be used sparingly. The current circumstances were not helping though.

On the projection, it was clear that the Orbital Knights present on Mars were holding a defensive position while the UFE units retained a safe distance from Martian space but close enough to offer help or easily rain more destruction. The spread was ironic considering how it resembled the Landing Castles the Martians once held around the Earth before Operation Earthfall.

“I’ve been meaning to ask… has there been any word of Sey--,” Yuki wondered while cautiously looking to the others looking at the projection on the floor.

“No.” Inaho answered and elaborated. “Eddelrittuo has been keeping an eye on the UFE and Vers Empire exchanges. Count Klancain has been politely declining and postponing any aide Admiral Hakkinen has been offering for the time being. However they are currently keeping the pretense that the rebels may continue their assault on the Empire and are fine with maintaining this.”

“I’m curious how you are keeping contact with the former handmaiden,” Princess Lemrina commented and Inaho could see the princess had been watching him.

Inaho removed his hand from his face and remained silent. He could not afford to expose his method of contacting. Not yet.

However Kirsten thought otherwise as the woman sighed and seemed to answer in his stead, “Synapse noises similar to Morse code.”

“... Synapse noises?” Yuki repeated. Her complexion paled as she looked to her brother. There was only one explanation for that to be possible and furthermore, a signal to not be so easily intercepted. “Nao-kun…”

Inaho looked to Kirsten silently and a seemingly blanked expression but Kirsten only smiled with some amusement. She went, “There is a time to uphold information; this isn’t one Kaizuka.”

Inaho sighed as what he wanted to prevent, was unfolding before his eyes. Yuki had redirected her focus from him to Kirsten and was clearly still not at terms with what led to their current situation.

“Troyard!” Yuki exclaimed. Kirsten seemed already accustomed to the older woman’s outburst as Kirsten remained a rather calm expression.

“He made the choice.” Kirsten stated. Something about the statement caused Yuki to reconsider what she was about to say.

Suddenly, a slam penetrated the door, which slowly but surely opened. A familiar servant before Inaho and Lt. Marito was catching her breath.

Sir Hark Light glared at the servant who brusquely kneeled. “M’lord. I… apologize… Lord Slaine is--”

“Hark Light!” Princess Lemrina exclaimed. Her complexion paled as she abruptly rose to her feet and looked to the alarms, going off.

“No… Not again.” Sir Hark Light gasped before commanding the servant and officers currently in the room.

“Again? You mean to say it’s about to fire?” Lt. Marito grumbled before face palming.

Princess Lemrina started making her way out of the room, which led to Sir Hark Light stopping mid-sentence to address her. “Princess Lemrina!”

“Even if you go to the core, Your Highness, it is futile.” Kestrel informed. Kestrel could see the young royal’s fists shake.

“I opened this facility and have been able to get us in here… surely…” The princess tried to reason before breathing in heavily, knowing full well she was grasping at straws. “I still have to try!” Princess Lemrina yelled and bolted out of the room.

As the rebels left with Hark Light after the princess, Inaho looked once more at the projection. Momentarily his eyes widened before he smiled. He had seen this before; it was the same spread as his chess game against Slaine.

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> **A/N3:** Technically, Slaine and Inaho's chess game ends in a stalemate defined by "threefold repetition." Threefold repetition occurs when an opponent (in this case Slaine) calls a draw as his opponent (Inaho) had repeated the same position three times.


	14. Her heart is true as steel

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> He wanted it all to end. However he knew he no longer could recant.
> 
> She was before him and this time, he could not escape her piercing, sapphire eyes.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

>  **A/N:** Sorry for the delay on the update. New medication and work has been busy.

**T-Minus 238d cont.**

_“Lemrina. Hold your position.”_

Princess Lemrina did not answer as the brunette’s voice echoed from the audio feed. Her eyes were still focused on the ashen blond in front of her.

That same smile.

“I’m glad to see you are well, Princess.”

That voice.

It was entirely wrong. Disgustingly wrong.

She knew why. Her heart sank as she grimaced. The eerily gold was present. The cursed Aldnoah. The alien technology that defined her role to an entire civilization. She was nothing more than a vessel, a puppet, a tool.

“Princess, you should not be here. The--”

“You couldn’t be the one behind this Slaine.” Princess Lemrina calmly stated; she retained a calm expression. She must remain strong in her stance. She had to, not for herself but for him. That was the feeling she was getting about this bizarre situation.

Is she really the puppet now? Was Slaine in any different position than her?

For a moment, Slaine’s smile faded but again he politely smiled. “You are correct, Princess. I have not set foot here before.”

_“He knows more than he is letting on.”_ She thought.

He kept the polite smile yet his gaze was not faltering upon her. Slaine could see some semblance of uneasiness from her. He still thinks he can fool her like back then.

_“Even if I had not done what I had, I’m sure that someone, one day, would…”_

Slaine’s demeanor instantly changed. His eyes narrowed and looked to the door whence they came. Multiple sets of footsteps were rapidly closing in on them.

“Even if you have not… you know who is behind this, don’t you Slaine Troyard?” Princess Lemrina questioned with an authoritative voice.

The ashen blond slowly turned to her. His eyes were ice cold. She had hit the mark and no matter what Slaine did or say now, he was cornered. Kaizuka Inaho had arrived with two of the UFE agents. Harklight was still on his way after trying to see if he could stop a potential firing through other means.

“I concede.” Inaho said in between breaths.

Slaine looked to the brunette and smiled bitterly. “Rather late to say that now, isn’t it Kaizuka Inaho?”

“I concede.” Inaho again repeated. “Admiral Hakkinen.”

For a moment Slaine’s smile vanished but he again resumed, lopsided. “Did one loss really deter your senses?”

Inaho continued, unfazed of what was being said before. He pulled out a scrap of paper where he had scribbled the current formation of both Vers and UFE forces. “I got your message.”

Slaine took a step back towards the monolith. “Hmph. Pure coincidence, Kaizuka Inaho.” _“Finally…”_

The brunette put away the paper into his coat pocket and instead retrieved a pistol. “I will stop you, Bat.” He aimed the pistol at Slaine.

“Kaizuka Inaho what’s the meaning of this?” Kirsten exclaimed and was about to grapple Inaho except Yuki blocked her. Yuki shook her head and was implicitly telling her, _“There’s a reason for this. There has to be.”_

Slaine’s eyes were hidden by his fringe and he hunched over, falling onto one knee.

_“Was this what happened to you on the battlefield?”_ Princess Lemrina wondered as she started to walk forward to Slaine.

Slaine was startled by the noise of her steps and looked up. Princess Lemrina turned around and rose her arms, acting like a human barrier between Slaine and Inaho.

“Princess Lemrina.” Inaho addressed. He was clearly trying to get her to move out of his line of fire.

She remained unmoved, if not making her stance more firmed. “I will not move.”

“I… see...” Slaine mumbled; his eyes were hidden by his fringe. _“This is what the admiral had wanted.”_ He struggled to stand, wobbling to his left before Princess Lemrina caught him.

“Slaine!” Princess Lemrina cried as she noticed the scar around his neck, was glowing red and had been bleeding.

“Princess…” Slaine struggled to speak. _“Please move… Please… I can’t…”_

The image of the empress dissipating was still fresh in his mind.

_“Don’t die. Not because of me. Not because of my mistakes, my wrongdoings.”_

The ever-present burning sensation scorched through his veins. The bleeding wound around his neck made him cringe. However he has long grown accustomed to this pain. He had grown tired of this. All of it. There was no more point anymore to continuing.

The one who always wins, got his message. Everything will be fine. He always wins after all. He always beat him every turn. Surely this time he would as well. Even now he still kept in mind of what was important.

The only pain Slaine could not endure much longer though was before him. The deep, lonely yet piercing blue eyes of the princess kept gazing upon him. Slaine could no longer fool her. Maybe it was because he no longer had the strength to do so, no will or drive anymore to deceive or continue being his puppet. Maybe it was because she no longer needed his help or anyone else’s for she can stand on her own. One thing remained unchanged after all this time. She had fallen for him and after all this time, it was still so apparent.

She was alike to him. She wished for the thing they both could never have. No. Something he could never have. Surely… surely she can now.

_“Forget about me princess. Please. Please move. I’m not worth it.”_

Slaine bit his lip to the point it bled. He needed the pain. He needed to move now. He cannot depend on her to let this necessary evil be done away. Slaine moved his trembling right arm and rested his hand over Princess Lemrina’s shoulder, gently gesturing her to move aside. She took the hint and begrudgingly done so.

Slaine had questioned what justice would be done. The pain was too much to raise his arm anymore. Would gesturing to shoot him in the head, really matter though?

The gun lowered as the brunette was taking aim.

Of course the brunette knew where the real diabolical evil was. Inaho always knew the heart of the matter.

_**Bang!** _

 

**T-Minus 236d**

He wondered if this is how Her Highness had felt after waking from her coma. Slaine had finally awakened from what felt like an empty, eternal slumber and felt it rather difficult to move his body. He could feel his throat was dry and any sound he tried to muster was hoarse and raspy. After some struggle, Slaine finally managed to bring his left hand over his face and shield his eyes from the intimidating brightness of the fluorescent lights overhead. He silently chuckled but soon coughed.

“Water, Slaine?” A voice asked from behind a curtain.

Slaine bit his lower lip as he knew that voice. That voice belonged to someone, one of many he had thought he’d never meet again. That voice belonged to someone whose smile was sad and whose gaze was piercing. However that someone differed from the many others for she was the princess he had sworn to protect…. She was the princess that had stood before him back then and now; she was Princess Lemrina.

Through the cracks of his hand shielding his eyes, he could see the pink-haired girl had brought forth a glass of water without his response. Cradling the glass ever so preciously and gently, she offered the glass of water to him.

“Slaine?” Princess Lemrina again asked.

Slaine grit his teeth and closed his eyes. _“Why did it have to be this way? Why did we have to meet like this?”_ He thought to himself.

“Ah- right. It must be difficult to move… the doctor said you had a small case of atrophy,” Princess Lemrina went and placed the glass down on the nearby nightstand.

“… No,” Slaine managed to speak but it fell to deaf ears.

Slaine felt the princess’s arm wrap behind him and help him to sit up. He attempted to look away but found his eyes fixating on the princess’s hands. They were wrapped with bandages and he felt a throb of pain in his head. He felt ashamed for earlier but knew there was nothing he could have done differently. After all, the Admiral at the time still retained complete control of Slaine’s actions.

Once sitting up, the princess made Slaine lean more forward as she adjusted his pillow, before letting him fall back to the bed. She then got the water and offered it before Slaine who no longer could hide his face with his hand. Like the doctor had told the princess, Slaine had been ailed with a complicated case of atrophy. Surely his body has been in constant use but he himself had not been in control. If anything, the use of his own willpower to move his body as he wants was what was atrophied. Was it a fault in his neurons? Slaine was at a loss honestly but also couldn’t help feeling also rather apathetic of the situation. It could be easily explained by the fact he had been under the influence of an Aldnoah Engine continuously for the last two years; it is currently unknown about the side effects; what he was experiencing now was one of them and not a good one at that.

“Slaine… please.”

Slaine could feel the princess guide his left hand to grasp the glass in her hands. He could feel his gaze follow her hands and finally to her face. Her sapphire eyes looked more glossy than normal to him; no they were not glassy but watery. He felt his hand grasp the glass and tremble.

Last night played in his mind.

He couldn’t and didn’t dare recollect what he was yelling on top of his lungs. Slaine could only remember how much anguish enveloped his heart and how every piece of his being desired to be torn asunder. It was the same sadness and helplessness that poured down like divine judgment Slaine realized he was spared by Kaizuka Inaho at the end of the secondary interplanetary war. However there was a difference now from back then. Slaine was uncertain as to why he felt that; no he had a feeling he knew but he couldn’t face the fact right now. Everything was jumbled.

Slaine dropped the glass and the water spilled.

“Ah! I’ll dry that! One moment… where… where is the towel?” Princess Lemrina panicked after acquiring the fallen glass and retreating behind the curtain.

Slaine didn’t hear her words though. Last night still played in his mind. When everything seemed so bleak to him for reasons he couldn’t fathom, he remembered how Princess Lemrina had fallen to her knees before him. Both of them had for some reason been on the ground. She had removed his hands that had been fists before him; his hands were hurting after repeatedly slamming them on the metallic floor.

_“Slaine, don’t leave me!”_

One by one, a tear fell from her cheek. Over and over again, she had begged Slaine.

_“I won’t let you go this time! Never again!”_

It was with those words, Slaine felt himself being pulled back from the deep abyss of his anguish. He was at a loss of why. Slaine felt his mind darting faster than he could consciously keep up; his mind recalled every wrong he had done to her. He had made her bear the disguise and voice of her half-sister, rendering her own identity further in obscurity. He had blown up the one place she had considered home. And thus when he had surrendered, Slaine made sure to release her as best as he could, free of the crimes she had indeed help him orchestrate but that was all she did. Princess Lemrina had been nothing more than a tool, he had convinced himself, and because of that nature, because she only helped him, Slaine thought she should have every right to seize what was robbed of her due to her birthright and obscured identity. It is then that Slaine had and always hoped for her happiness and well-being but before him, he can’t help feeling his prayers for such have gone unanswered.

Last night the princess Slaine had wronged and forsaken cried for him to remain. Today she struggled to care for him when it should be the other way around. She is his princess; he is her knight. Princess Lemrina had returned and dutifully tried to dry the area but found her legs giving way. She was about to fall to the side of the bed but Slaine mustered the strength to get a hold of her arm. In turn instead of falling to the side of the bed, the princess stumbled onto the bed.

The princess was stunned but chuckled as she sat up, looking to her legs shamefully. “Thank you Slaine… I hadn’t noticed that my legs were this sore.”

Slaine cursed his lack of strength as he felt himself be pulled by the princess. His body still wasn’t fully in his control.

Slaine tried to speak but the sound that came from within was barely audible. “You… shouldn’t… push… yourself too… hard.”

He couldn’t put any force behind his actions and last night robbed him the one rigid thing he was known for – his voice. Slaine shut his eyes and grit his teeth, turning away from the princess. He was useless as he was now. He was hopeless and helpless even to someone so close. Again his body betrayed him. Tears fell from his cheeks and soon a whimper. Nothing but frustration filled him. Slaine could neither bring himself to be the count he once was nor to be who he was before.

“Slaine,” the voice again chimed and Slaine could feel a gentle hand grip his.

Slaine couldn’t bring himself to look at her. He was cornered. He was vulnerable. He was broken. He couldn’t gather the shards that made him who he was now and he did not have the strength to push her away. No.

The princess had faced him and just like he had always known, Princess Lemrina’s gaze was sad and piercing; no one could hide forever from that gaze once filled with determination. She was Her Highness’s sister after all; she too bore that unyielding determination to continue to her goals no matter how naïve or unobtainable such goals may be.

No. He couldn’t hide from this radiant light. He could not push away this light he had once run away from. The princess wouldn’t let him go again after all.

The princess wrapped her arms around him and he couldn’t help but relax in her warmth.

“Thank you for being alive.”

Slaine felt himself repulse for a moment as he tried to hold back a whimper. It was all to naught as he couldn’t help but break into a sob.

_“You don’t know. You don’t know what I’ve done these last two years and yet… you still wish for me here.”_

He felt the princess hug him tighter. The princess was afraid to see Slaine like this. A hidden rage burned in her for she could not fathom what UFE had done for Slaine to become like this. She after all was aware of what Slaine had gone through during his rise of power and an inkling of what had happened before when she had seen his scars. Slaine had returned through all of that without losing his dutiful mask to achieve his goals… but now, he was broken beyond recognition.

However her rage was in check. She was different from back then where she didn’t lose to her tantrums and jealousy. She was different than she was before for this time she felt at this very moment felt she had saved Slaine.

 


	15. "A rose by any other name would smell as sweet"

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> _“You’ll regret this.”_

**T-Minus 236 Days continued**

With Rayet’s assistance, Inaho decrypted the synapse messages he had received and rerouted the comm link to contact the Deucalion. Within moments a pair of familiar faces were visible on the central holographic screen.

“I was wondering when we would hear from you. It is reassuring to see our away team has made it in one piece.” Captain Magbaredge stated when seeing Yuki, Rayet, and Lt. Marito.

“And obviously through orthodox means,” Lt. Marito joked albeit the captain’s aide seemed to not have caught the drift.

"Yes. Kaizuka Junior tends to ignore protocol on a daily basis." Mizusaki commented and massaged her temples. She already could foresee this would not bode well.

"Mizusaki... do you know why you can't find a date?"

"Captain--"

Darzana chuckled and changed topics. Time was after all of the essence. “As you are aware, we are leading the charge in this operation. It will commence at 1800 hours. Compounding this, Kaizuka Junior, you have 3 minutes and counting before we are forced to end this transmission.”

"You will not be able to attack the Kataphrakt Deimos." Inaho began.

"On what grounds?"

"For they not only hold me hostage but they also hold the admiral's granddaughter hostage."

"... The admiral's... that detail was not covered in the brief--" Mizusaki mumbled.

"The admiral has ruled it a necessary sacrifice for the greater good of Vers and Earth--"

"On the contrary, he is immobilizing the one threat to Vers and inadvertently weakening the only chance Earth has against Vers."

"You aren’t implying Count Klancain is…” Sir Harklight started to suspect and fell silent as Inaho continued.

"Furthermore, the Orbital Knight behind Deimos is not part of the rebels. Rather, they are part of the UFE."

"They? How would you have deduced this--"

Inaho eyed the remaining time on the nearby clock and looked back to the Captain. "One of them is aboard the Deucalion."

Captain Magbaredge nodded. "I understand. What are you proposing as a countermeasure?"

"Fort Knox."

As the transmission abruptly ended, Mizusaki turned to the Captain who could only smirk.

“1800 hours to our current time… we have 5 hours before we have a battle in our hands.” Kirsten determined.

Yuki patted her brother’s back as he faced a rather intimidating, tall Martian.

“You’re playing a risky game and if you knew the Orbital Knight controlling this…” Sir Harklight began to conclude.

“He does not. However I imagine he has a good guess.” Princess Lemrina said and revealed her presence around the nearby corner. She had not attended the meeting in person and instead listened through a comm link outside Slaine’s current location. The princess had refused to leave his side, especially what had transpired the last 48 hours. She narrowed her eyes, beckoning for the brunette to elaborate.

To her dismay Inaho would not and instead changed topics. “Any progress in inquiring his aide?”

Her silence told everything he needed to know.

Lt. Marito sighed and went, “In that case, our only chance is to access Sharon Hakkinen’s laptop and see if we can acquire any additional information.”

As they reached the hangar where they had arrived, Yuki walked up to them with the laptop under her arm. She shook her head and bore bad news. “It’s biometrically locked… unless…” Yuki looked to Sir Harklight who the princess turned to.

“I’ll see what I can do.” The dutiful knight said with a bow.

***

**UFE: T-Minus 236 days, 4 hours remaining**

“This is outrageous!” Calm exclaimed and shook the iron bars in his hands.

“Calm Craftman, you have also reached the same conclusion as I have.” Captain Magbaredge stated before Calm.

The mechanic’s grip on the bars loosened. She was right. Only he has boarded the Deucalion in the last 48 hours and has had direct contact with the admiral. To add, he has been working with Sharon Hakkinen who works directly under the admiral.

“But Captain…” He weakly began and started to retreat towards the back of the cell.

Sympathetically the Captain spoke, “Until we can prove otherwise, we cannot deny any possibility,” and returned to her station.

 

Mumbling, blabbering and struggling the mechanic tried to find solace in the brig of the Deucalion. Never once did Calm consider being imprisoned by those he considered family and trusted above all.

He grit his teeth as he fought back a shriek trying to be known. There was no point in wasting his energy in such a wasted cry after so many had died in the empty metallic walls making his cell.

 _“She must be dealing with worse… those Martians--”_ Calm thought but yelled. His attempts to hold back were futile. His worry would not cease and only made him more restless.

What did Inaho expect from him? From the Deucalion in this situation?

All he ever wanted was to avenge her. Calm was so convinced the rebels had killed her on Vers. Her Valkyrie unit was vacant and although there was no corpse, the Martians were known for not taking kindly to Terrans. Even if his friend had been taken, Inaho still proved useful to the enemy as the one authorized to power the Deucalion’s Aldnoah engine but for her… for Sharon…

Calm rose from the floor and once more bashed his fists against the wall.

Everything hurt and only seemed to worsen as he couldn’t help falling to his knees. One after another nothing seems to improve.

After the sortie on the Moonbase and finding what had transpired on Vers, Calm had sought the admiral. He begged permission out of compassion to be authorized to return to the Deucalion and determine what became of Sharon Hakkinen. The admiral was unfazed and unmoved. It was unnerving how cold the admiral seemed to be to his granddaughter… at first.

The admiral sighed and had smiled to him, granting Calm permission to return to the Deucalion but told him to disregard her. He said they both knew what Sharon would have wanted and if by some miracle she was taken by the rebels, she would rather see this conflict relinquished rather than a rescue effort for her life alone. She would have wanted what was best for the greater good.

And now, Calm had found himself tossed into the brig conspiring with the admiral as the Orbital Knight behind the Kataphrakt Deimos. He beat his head against the wall.

“There had to be a reason behind this.” He thought albeit uncertain if that was entirely a logical conclusion. Calm shook his head and refocused.

Sharon had to be in on it as much as he feared.

“Sharon…” He whispered feeling the guilt creep upon him. The last thing he wanted to do was suspect his love. A chuckle escaped his lips as he recollected the irony of his situation.

 

**Flashback: T-Minus 314 days**

Calm sneezed as he nearly tripped on a pile of books. Of all the places, Calm had found his date with Sharon starting in an antique bookstore, which was a place he swore he would only find himself in with Inaho.

 

“Are you alright, Calm? Oh wait... “ Sharon asked before pondering a thought. She had looked down from the second floor of the bookstore. “Bless you is what I should say, shouldn’t it?”

He sheepishly smiled and nodded. “Yes Sharon. That’s right. Anything exciting up there?”

Her face reddened when looking back at the bookshelf she had busied herself with. “N-no, not at all.”

The Canadian blond hummed as he mischievously smirked, quickly making his way up there. He would not let this chance escape!

“W-wait Calm! I’m on my way down. Your friend would definitely, definitely not find this genre interesting--” Sharon panicked and before long, she had fallen back onto the bookcase.

Calm of course came to her rescue and shielded her from the falling books. As the dust cleared, it was evident what Sharon feverishly tried to hide from him and she knew resistance was futile when Calm cleared his throat, a book open in hand.

“If I profane with my unworthiest hand…” Calm began and started to playfully raise his eyebrows at Sharon, who blushed and looked away. He took her hand as he continued reading from the book, “This holy shrine, the gentle fine is this…”

“Calm…” Sharon quietly went. His breath and hers starting to intermingle as their noses began to touch. Her eyes remained focused elsewhere, desperately.

Calm did not see for he reddened when reading the next line. “My lips, two blushing pilgrims, ready stand.”

“Calm.” She tried once again to beckon his attention and this time she turned to Calm. Her face ever becoming more flush at his proximity.

He teased a kiss on her nose and whispered, “To smooth that rough touch with a tender kiss--”

Sharon gripped the nearest item in her reach -- a book obviously -- and smacked Calm from the side of his head with it. “You kiss by th’ book!” She exclaimed while covering her face, entirely red as a tomato.

Before Calm could regain his bearings, he felt the world had gone sideways.

…

Afterward, Calm rested on a wooden bench outside while Sharon continuously apologized to the shopkeeper who tried to calm her down. It wasn’t long before Sharon had returned to his side and gave him a handkerchief, which she had wet with a water bottle she carried.

“Calm, I--”

“Thank you and it’s alright.” Calm interjected when taking the handkerchief to rest on his left temple. “My fault for making fun of how much of a romantic you are.”

“Romantic?! Nothing of that sort!” Sharon vehemently tried to deny but stopped when seeing Calm’s expression. He entirely didn’t buy that to which she coughed and twiddled her forefingers. “M… maybe a little…” She silently concurred before exclaiming. “No! Richard III is far from a romance and--”

Calm chuckled and leaned on an elbow to look up to Sharon who still seemed embarrassed. “Okay correction. Shakespeare enthusiast.”

Sharon definitely wanted to refute but sighed. It was a futile battle at this point and looking at the time, they had wasted a large part of their day off. “Fine… an… an enthusiast but honestly, any ideas for souvenirs? You’re due to the airport tomorrow and you’ve yet to--”

“I was not planning to bring any souvenirs back as the appropriate ones wouldn’t last the flight.” Calm explained.

“Oh. Then…” Sharon started to piece together what today was really for then and she sighed, shying away and covering her face in her hands. “I’m sorry. I ruined the mood earlier…”

Calm sat up and rubbed the back of his head. “Not at all. It was rather presumptuous on my part. After all you were practically raised on Mars and…” He said before his voice trailed off as saw Sharon’s reaction.

Sharon had removed her hands and Calm could gather her mood had soured. He wanted to apologize but was stunned at her gentle smile. She added, “Even on Mars a kiss was precious, especially one on the lips.”

She rested a finger on Calm’s lips as if silencing him so she could continue. “Terrans and Martians were no different than the Capulets and Montagues. The only difference was a kiss from the Royal bloodline granted rights over alien technology whereas a kiss brought death to the two family’s posterity.”

Calm’s expressed contorted and soon he found himself holding a chuckle at a troubling, baffling thought. “You mean to say the Emperor--”

Sharon frowned and sighed, smacking Calm back down on the wooden bench. “You’re hopeless.”

 

**Present**

“A mere kiss… you wouldn’t mean…” Calm’s eyes widened as he mumbled and recalled how Inaho acquired his Aldnoah rights.

***

**Rebels: T-Minus 236 days, 2 hours remaining**

Inaho sighed as the last few hours proved fruitless and felt his feet treading him back in a big circle to where he began -- the sickbay. It was here he had learned of what the admiral had planned and it was here he had presumed was the best chance they had in beating the admiral in his own game. However as he stepped forward, even here seemed to not be getting anywhere.

“-Hime. You must know better.” Slaine said in an exasperated voice.

“I do. It is you who does not.” Princess Lemrina countered.

The ashen blond sighed, facepalming and shaking his head. Unlike earlier, he was now sitting up and at least has regained his cheekiness to Inaho’s assessment.

“I agree with her assessment.” Inaho butted in and leaned against the wall by the door.

Slaine rose his face and turned to the brunette; the princess had faced him too. Both of them looked to Inaho aggravated but Inaho remained unfazed.

“You baffle me Kaizuka Inaho. You of all people would know best.” Slaine stated.

“Enlighten me.” Inaho curtly demanded.

“You…” Slaine hissed and took a deep breath to calm down. Surely the presence of the princess was keeping Slaine a bit more courteous than if it was Inaho alone in the room.

 _"Incorrect,"_ Inaho reassessed when meeting Slaine’s gaze. Cold and authoritative. No. Bitter and resentment would be accurate Inaho presumed.

“Wasn’t it you who identified me as an enemy?” Slaine asked. More so rhetorically and added, “it should be more blatantly and painfully obvious now.” He pointed to the bandaged wound around his neck. “I even had a collar to prove it.” He jest in a sarcastic and sardonic tone.

Lemrina’s glare at Inaho intensified. She too was getting the vibe if they were to continue this conversation a repeat of the other night was bound to happen. Implicitly, Lemrina gestured for Inaho to back down and Inaho left the room.

“Cat got your tongue Kaizuka Inaho. Face it. For once you are wrong and outplayed.” Slaine continued, attempting to rattle something, anything out of the brunette. Deep down the ashen blond knew it was futile but the entire situation was dire.

He shouldn’t be here.

He shouldn’t be alive. She shouldn’t be here. She shouldn’t have died. The peace shouldn’t have shattered.

“Stop it Slaine.” Lemrina said calmly and grasping his hand.

Slaine tried to hold back a chuckle but he could not relent. His hand trembled in her grip as he mumbled, frantically. “Of, of course. Of course. I wanted. I wanted to so many times. So. So. Many times. Many. times... “

“Slaine…”

His chuckles and laughs died down when she renewed her grasp and looked at him with those determined eyes. Just like back then, just like when her sister aimed a gun at him. Just like when Inaho was ready to fire after their last battle on the Moon.

How many more times did he have to see it? He would give in but what more did he have to give?

“Don’t you see Princess… I cannot be trusted. Even Her Majesty could not free me from-from him.” Slaine spoke and looked downcast.

“I know you cannot be trusted Slaine,” Princess Lemrina affirmed and can tell finally, Slaine agreed with her. He nodded and smiled, the momentary insanity seemed to have dissipated as quickly as it came. However she was not done. “I do on the other hand… want you to trust me.”

Slaine was entirely taken aback.

“I--” Slaine started but grit his teeth. He had promised to himself he would not lie to her. It wasn’t a lie that he trusted her… to an extent. That was not the trust she wanted, however, and it was a trust he was uncertain he could give. After all he could not trust even himself. Even without the admiral’s control on him and the aftermath of the war, he has only done wrong. He has only failed those he held dear.

Briefly Slaine looked to the princess and found that her gaze had not left him. She knew what she had asked was impossible and he knew he had to, he had to find a way to give.

“Do you believe in what I am doing is right?” She asked, seemingly derailing the current train of thought.

He motioned to speak yet was stopped in his tracks. To speak ill or against someone of higher authority never bode well. Doing so was inadvertently challenging their authority. Princess Lemrina’s authority was still frail but ever more pertinent now than ever for the things to come.

“Slaine I’m asking you. Not the count. Not… as the UFE mole. You. Slaine Troyard.” Princess Lemrina reiterated. “I’m asking… the person I had fallen for. The person who taught me about Earth. The person who showed me what home is.”

Slaine bowed his head and mumbled. “Y… yes. Yes I do… it’s just…” He stopped himself for fearing he was borderline overstepping his boundary.

Princess Lemrina smiled and leaned her cheek on their clasped hands. “It’s just?” She beckoned for him to finish and once more he gave in.

Before long he regained his wits after realizing he had babbled endlessly to the princess, who had continued to listen attentively. He apologized profusely only for the princess to shake her head.

“They are valid points Slaine. Thank you for sharing.” Princess Lemrina expressed and Slaine couldn’t help but blush before facepalming. He didn’t know what was getting over him.

“Highness… we should stop here. I-I don’t know if that is more my opinion or if it’s--”

“I’ll determine which is which but Slaine, trust me.”

“I…” Slaine struggled, looking back and forth from elsewhere to the princess. “I want to, Your Highness but what you are asking of me I--”

The princess silenced him with a kiss on the lips. He tried to fight back to no avail; his strength had yet to return him. Whatever dignity he had left was surely gone yet also didn’t matter.

“If you can’t trust me, then trust this feeling.” Princess Lemrina said confidently, so confidently Slaine was rendered speechless for a moment.

He would not have it. “Highness! That feeling is destructive!”

“Yes it sure is. I’ve ignored the people of this facility to tend to you. I’ve risked my stand against my sister back in the palace to be reunited with you.” She listed. “And for the two years since your proclaimed death, I’ve desperately tried to forget you, to hate you to no success! My feelings remain unchanged!”

“Feelings…” Slaine began, struggling to find a way to change the princess’s mind. He needed to for the greater good. He was not worth this. Down the road it will cost her dearly, much like it had for him. “Feelings may not change but they become twisted as more time has past.”

A moment passed. Silence… a growing silence as more moments passed and before long, Slaine looked to the princess who had continued looking at him. His argument was weak yet he had prayed it would suffice.

It did not for her eyes remained focused, unrelenting and uncompromising.

Slaine looked down to their clasped hands and sighed once more. He rested his head on the princess’s shoulder. His shoulders were unnaturally feeling heavy and the wound around his neck felt warm but in an unsettling, comforting manner.

“You’ll regret this.” He whispered.

She released his hand and embraced him.

“I won’t.”

***

**T-Minus 236 0 hours, 57 minutes remaining**

The doors to sickbay opened and Inaho stood up, putting away his tablet.

“Sharon Hakkinen,” he addressed.

======

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> **A/N:** IT STILL LIVES, I SWEAR!!! Truth be told, I had been mediating on this chapter for the past month and after so long an internal debate, I'm satisfied to post this. orz If you have it in your heart, please forgive me. Updates will be more frequent in the coming weeks as the path is now clear as to where this fanfic will go. 
> 
>  
> 
> **Profoundly I thank you all for the support thus far. m(T_T)m**

**Author's Note:**

>  **A/N2:** This takes places during the one year “episode 24.5” occurred so by the end, the conversations Slaine and Inaho had already occurred. Go figure I try to make this as a one-shot and it becomes three chapters...
> 
> TYVM for reading and any comments would be greatly appreciated.
> 
> Also thanks for my beta (evergraceiii) for proofreading this on the fly. Q_Q


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